A Princess's Duty
by Nina Windia
Summary: Sheila takes her meddling to the extreme when she decides that Nina must have an arranged marriage, and that to keep the bloodline pure, she must marry a relative! Will Nina submit and do her duty for her kingdom, or rebel for the sake of true love?
1. Thy Kingdom Come

A/N- It feels peculiar to write again in this section after so many years... but it also feels nice to return to it. Anyway, this is Breath of Fire III story, set sometime after the end of the game. Anyway... enjoy, and if you'd be so kind, drop me a review at the end to tell me what you think.

_A Princess's Duty_

_I _

_**Thy Kingdom Come**_

Nina, princess, and heir to the throne of Wyndia, was depressed. As the sun was setting on the horizon, she clambered out onto the castle balcony and sat on the wall, putting her head in her hands. Coming back to the castle was both a blessing and a curse. On the positive side of things, she got to see her father and her people, sleep in a soft bed, and eat other food apart from beef jerky and apples. On the negative- she had to see her mother. While she loved her, Sheila was a meddler who specialised in meddling in her daughters affairs. Most would just call this nagging or 'doing ones best for ones daughter' but Sheila took this to the extreme, in Nina's eyes. Usually she could stand it, as it involved nothing more serious that what she wore to dinner, or the company she kept. But recently, Sheila had taken it upon herself to find a husband for her daughter.

If this wasn't bad enough for headstrong willed Nina, there was only one type of man she could marry, and it was a type she wasn't **ever** going to be interested in at all, no matter how handsome or charming the man. She had to marry one of her family.

It was told in the old books that once the Wyndians were all winged, and not just with the pip-squeak wings they had today- they had great white angel wings. However, dilution of the blood had followed as the Wyndians married normal humans, and their wings shrank, and eventually almost completely disappeared. Only those related to the royal family remained true to their heritage, and even there wing size was smaller. The upshot of this was that Nina would have to marry one of her kin for the blood to remain pure, and so the Wyndians would remained winged.

Her head dropped further, till she was sitting with her head in her lap. What could she do? Run away, she supposed. But she was nineteen years old, and a princess. She couldn't just disappear again; she had duty, people, responsibility. She was _supposed_ to be an adult. But all she could think was- what does being an adult feel like?

"Princess Nina," said one of the guards, startling her. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't heard him coming.

"Y-yes?" she said, climbing down from the wall and brushing her windswept hair behind her ears.

"Queen Sheila requests your presence at dinner tonight Princess."

There came a pause.

"Well, you can tell her that I 'request' that she leaves me alone. I know what's she's up to! Every week when I'm 'requested' to dinner, I have to sit next to some pompous, arrogant relative that then proceeds to try and sweet talk me!" She turned her head away, staring determinedly at the Wyndian banner flying from the top of the tower. The guard shuffled his feet nervously.

"I'm afraid the queen said you must Princess. She-uh- asks that you wear something nice as well."

"What I'm wearing now _is_ nice!" Nina exclaimed, picking up the end of her favourite creased yellow dress.

"Um, I think she meant something… a bit more formal ma'am." Nina pursed her lips, still staring at the flag. A thought floated though her mind briefly, telling her that she was being childish. She pushed it away. One couldn't help but be childish when dealing with her mother, you certainly couldn't speak maturely with her. But still, she wondered…

"Fine," said Nina. "Fine, I'll go." But I'll be such miserable company she'll wish I hadn't, she thought.

Her maids exchanged a meaningful glance as Nina rejected the seventh dress, a pretty pink thing that fell to the floor in waves. "I'm not in the mood for pink," she mumbled.

"Well what about this then?" said the younger of the maids. She pulled out a red slim-fitting dress with a low cleavage from the wardrobe. "You wore that on your birthday last year, remember?"

"If I wear that, the leach my mother has brought will end up eating me with his eyes instead of his dinner." She sat up from the bed and rummaged though the wardrobe herself. "Aha!" she cried, pulling out a black shapeless dress that would cover her completely.

"Princess," said the older maid, "that's a funeral dress. You wore when your great aunt Magdalen- god bless her soul- passed away."

"Yes, well- it's been a while and I feel like wearing something I haven't been in for a bit."

Deciding that exchanging any more words was fruitless, the maids helped her change into it, all the while knowing exactly what she was thinking. When they were finished she grinned at herself in the mirror, and set off proudly down the stairs.

There were a lot of guests- that was the first thing she noticed. All dressed very informally, as though they'd been travelling and hadn't had time to change. Her sense of rebellion shifted somewhat to get out of the way for the approaching curiosity. There was a lot of talk and laughter; clearly the guests were in good spirits. A great table of food was laid out, filled with roast chicken and turkey, potatoes, sprouts, gravy, parsnips, radishes and plenty of finer food she didn't know the name for.

"Nina, there you are!" yelled Sheila, standing up from her seat. "Stop hanging about the doorway and come in for goodness sake."

Nina headed over across the room and took the open seat between her mother and one of the men in travelling clothes, feeling quizzical eyes on her. Sheila pinched the side of her dress and tutted loudly.

"Really, Nina, out of all your clothes, you picked this…"

"Who are all these people?" Nina asked, ignoring her.

"They are-"

"Attention everyone," said the king, rising to his feet. "I believe we now have everyone who shall be joining us this eve. Before we begin however, I'd like to welcome back Sir Edmund and his men, who have been on an expedition to the uncharted lands to the south, and have now returned safely with tales of their journey and many excellent artefacts. I'd like to propose a toast- to Edmund."

The group, including Nina, picked up their wine glasses and touched them together. "To Edmund," they chanted.

The man next to Nina- apparently Edmund- nodded appreciatively. The king took his seat, and he rose.

"It might be appropriate to make some great speech here…" he said, "but I can see you're all hungry, and I don't want to bore you all _too_ much with my drabble. So- if that's alright with you King- I say we tuck in."

Everyone applauded, and following the heads up from her father, they did just that. Everyone except Nina, that is. She played with a sprout on her plate, poking it with a fork, all the while thinking furiously. She'd made a complete fool out of herself. She'd acted like a stuck-up spoiled little princess, and for what? There was no suitor here, just her father's explorers. What must they think of her, sitting there moodily in that dress, looking as though she was attending a funeral rather than a banquet.

"Nina," Sheila muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "stop playing with your food already and eat."

I ought to at least try and get my dignity back, Nina thought, and she reached over to get some potatoes from the bowl on her top right. She couldn't quite reach.

"Do you need some help there?" said the explorer Edmund, smiling kindly at her.

"Uh, yes please," she said, and he picked up the bowl and passed it to her.

"Thanks." She started piling them onto her own plate.

"No problem… you're Princess Nina, aren't you?"

"Yes," she said, replacing the bowl.

"It's very nice to meet you then, Princess." He took her hand and kissed it in the normal court fashion.

"Same to you. You're an explorer then?" she asked this not just to please her mother (she was always told 'to be nice' to important guests) she was genuinely interested.

"Oh yes, I've been all over. The Dauna hills, Rhapala, the Urkaan region, even far down south, where the places don't have names and are ruled by savage people." Nina's interest was perked by this, last time she heard from Ryu, he was travelling in the Dauna hills.

"The south… that's where you've just come back from, isn't it?" she said, putting this aside for the moment.

"Yes, harsh terrain you have to cross to get to it though. The Raes, it's a chain of mountains you have to pass. Some of them stretch as high as the clouds, higher even." He waited for her to make some sound of awe, but when she didn't, carried on anyway. "It's worth it though. Beautiful lands beyond. There's a friendly tribe we met this time called the Grassrunners. Strange, strange people. I'm not sure they're actually people at all though… they look like dogs, you see? Wear a lot of jewellery."

He seemed very happy to tell his tales, and she was happy enough to listen. He was perhaps a little too eager to retell his amazing feats, perhaps a little pompous, but she supposed if he had done all he said he had, he'd probably earned the right to be. Though she still had to smile as he told her how he and his men had valiantly fought off a monster the size of a house. That was hardly anything compared to some of the things she'd fought when she was travelling with Ryu.

As they talked, the evening dragged on, and desert was brought in.

"I came back with quite a few things we bought or were given. The Grassrunners were so generous we had to load up their gifts into half a dozen wagons! It was a job and a half, but we go them here. I'm storing them at an old house near the bakery at the moment. Perhaps you'd like to come down with me and see them sometime? Those dogs gave us some very interesting artefacts…"

Nina swallowed the last spoonful of strawberry trifle and looked up at him. "That'd be nice," she said, "are you staying in town for a while then?"

Edmund gave her a slightly puzzled look. "Well… no. I'm staying at the castle."

"Really? You must be a pretty important explorer then. I didn't realise. Only family or very important people are usually allowed to stay. Have you known my father for a long time?"

He laughed. "But I _am_ family. The king is my uncle… which makes us, first cousins I suppose. Didn't you know?"

A sense of complete shock came over Nina, and she looked over to her mother, who was straining close to listen in.

"I'm glad you two are getting along so well," she said.

Nina turned back to Edmund, fire burning in her eyes. She felt utterly, utterly betrayed. She'd talked so politely and nicely to this young man, when he must have known all the time what her mother wanted. She probably cornered him as soon as he entered the castle, before that even. He knew, **all this time.**

Without a second thought, Nina clenched her hand into a fist and punched him in the jaw as hard as she could, knocking him and his chair backwards and sending him sprawling onto the floor.

Wide eyes gaped at her from every direction. Her father gaped at her like a Mannilo. Sheila was slumped in her chair, looking like she was about to faint.

Nina stood, sent a piercing glare her mother's way, stepped over the unconscious suitor and stormed upstairs to her room. She put the bar across the door, stopping all possible intruders, and threw herself onto the bed. She didn't cry, because she wasn't the sort of person who cried easily. Instead she raged, punching the bed furiously, imagining it as all the suitors her mother had presented to her, all of which she had turned down- though never quite as spectacularly as she had today. Some time into her fury, she shrugged off the ridiculous funeral dress and pulled on her nightgown. She was so lost in angry thought that she hardly noticed what she was doing.

She went out onto the small balcony from her room, hardly caring she was wearing only her nightgown, hardly caring anything.

It was dark now, and the moon- or three quarters of it- was in the sky. She put her elbows on the wooden railing and looked down at the town of Wyndia, the largest town in the world. In thirty or forty years, it would all be hers. But right now, she didn't want any of it. As she watched, she saw a person on horseback riding down the road towards Wyndia, looking like a blot on the dark grass. She sighed, and looked away.

"Nina! Nina! Open this door at once!"

She closed her eyes, trying to block of her mother's shouts and bangs at the door.

"Nina! Nina! NINA!"

Nina stormed back into her room, pulled away the bar and flung open the door, meeting with her mother's livid eyes.

"What?" Nina said, glaring back with her own formidable pair, a hand on her hip.

"Young woman, I think we need to have a little chat, _right now!_"

"How about no!" yelled Nina.

"How about yes!" Sheila yelled back.

"How about we stop arguing for a minute and try to sort this out sensibly?" said a voice from behind, and her father appeared and put a calming hand on his wife's shoulder. "Let me talk to her Sheila."

She looked on the verge of arguing, but bit her tongue, and walked away making an "Hmph!" noise.

Her father looked at her calmly with her own blue eyes, she felt her anger draining away, sucked into them as though they were whirlpools. A twinge of guilt hit her.

"Is-is he okay?" she asked.

"My nephew? He's fine. The doctor brought him round."

"Is… is he mad?"

"Edmund's a good spirited man, the first thing he said when he woke was that he never thought a woman could hit so hard. Still, I think you should apologise profoundly to him."

"I will," she said, and looked awkwardly to the floor.

"Sit down Nina, we need to talk."

Her father entered the room, and Nina pulled on a dressing gown, embarrassed to be wearing so little in front of a man, even if that man was her father. She sat down on her bed next to him.

"You're no longer a child Nina," said the king, getting straight to the point.

"I know that," she said," but mother is so…so-"

"Your mother wants what is best for you and the kingdom. She wants you to marry a good man to carry on our line. But she also wants you to be happy."

"But I don't want to marry! At least…. not like that. I don't want future husbands paraded in front of me to pick, I want to… to go out, meet my own husband. Fall in love."

The king sighed, and stroked his daughter's hair. "The world doesn't work like that, not for us. We must put the future of the kingdom and of our royal line in front of our personal needs. No prince or princess ever really found true love, you know. Power and love don't go together, you can't have both. All we have is the right to choose."

"But what about you Father? You wanted to marry Mother, didn't you?"

The king looked solemnly at Nina. "I'm going to tell you something, but don't ever repeat this to Sheila. I don't want her to know that I told you, alright? …Me and your mother had an arranged marriage, she's my second cousin. As you know, he has pretty small wings, but she's not completely wingless. We got on well enough, so my father, the king at the time, decided we should marry. She was beautiful, and I wanted to rule… so…"

The revelation was so shocking that all of Nina's remaining anger had long since fled. Her mother and father were like an old couple, always quarrelling. But there was affection there, she'd seen it.

"You mean… you don't love Mother?"

"No, no, no, I don't mean it like that. I love her," he said, shaking his head. "But it's because I learnt to love her. I've never had that passionate wild 'true love' that young people with freedom share. I could have loved another woman more. But this is the choice I made, and one must always stick with ones choices."

Nina's head dropped to the floor. "I never knew," she said.

"Well, now you know… But this is your choice Nina, Sheila can't force you to marry, nor can I. But I'm going to ask you not just to think of yourself, but for all of Wyndia. We need not just a princess, but a prince. The citizens depend on you for that, they expect it. But whatever you decide, don't look back. When you marry, you'll gain a kingdom. But you'll also loose something irreplaceable. That's why I'm telling you this- don't ever, ever look back. Doing that is like looking down from the tallest mountain. If you look back, you'll fall." The king of Wyndia, protector the realm, and descendent of the first winged one took his daughters hands in his. Then, suddenly, she realised there were tears sparkling in his eyes.


	2. The First Date

A/N- Take note, my lovely readers, that this isn't necessarily a Nina/OC story. You might get that impression from the later part of this chapter, but be assured that it's much more complicated that that.

Thank you to **Bill**, **Lord Kain**, **Lord Cirenmas** and **Estrelita Farr** for their reviews.

_A Princess's Duty_

_II_

_**The First Date**_

The messenger rode in through the gates of Wyndia, stopping briefly to announce himself and his duty to the evening guard on the gate. The guard nodded and waved him through, and he set off up towards the castle to deliver the letter in his pocket. He dismounted his horse, climbed the stairs to upper Wyndia, and knocked three times on the castle gates.

x

Nina laid sleeping, curled up on the top of her covers and still in her dressing gown. Her hair was sprawled across the pillow, and there was sweat on her brow. She tossed and turned, uttering little murmers of horor, when a knock came at the door and Nina's eyes flicked open, her heart pounding wildly. She had been dreaming that she was in a church, her mother poking her with a giant novelty pin until she stumbled down the aisle, tripping over her over-sized white dress and landing in the arms of her groom- a ninety year old man with half his teeth missing. All in all, she was quite glad that she'd been woken- she wasn't in any hurry to return to that nightmare. The knock came again at the door, and Nina remembered she hadn't yet replied.

"It- it's open. Come in," she said, wiping sweat from her forehead. The messenger entered and bowed.

"A letter for you Princess," he said, and he pulled a somewhat crumpled envelope from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said, and turned it over curiously in her hands. It was stamped with a red wax seal, but bore no insignia or mark on it. She wondered who it could be from. First of all however, she picked up a customary coin from the dresser and pressed it into the messenger's hand. "My gratitude," she said tiredly. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you ma'am," he replied, and he bowed again and went out the door.

Nina moved over to her desk and pulled up a chair. She carefully opened the envelope, running her nail under the wax and pulling out the paper inside. She unfolded it, eyed the incredibly messy scrawl, and began to read.

_Dear Nina,_

_Hello there, how are you doing? It's Ryu! Guess who I met on my travels, come on- guess. You better have guessed by now… okay then… it's Momo! She's doing well, and is still tinkering around with her machines. I don't think she'd be able to stop even if she tried! I've seen a lot of interesting things, but I don't want to write too much, since I'll be back soon and I can tell you then. Yup, that's right! I'll be back in Wyndia in just a few days. This is mainly the reason I'm writing to you. Anyway…um… I guess that's it for now. Seeya soon!_

_Ryu _

_X_

A great smile broke out on Nina's face as she read, her tiredness evaporating into the air, and when she had finished, she leapt to her feet and cartwheeled across the room, before blushing embarrassedly and checking the door was definitely shut. She hadn't seen her friend in months. He'd left some time ago to visit Rei, and after that decided to do a spot of sight seeing. Last time she'd heard from him he was talking about some giant cabbages he'd seen in the west.

She picked up the envelope, making to put the letter back in, when two small pieces of paper fell out. She held up the first one.

_Just a quick note here. This was made using a thing called an Autopicture. Momo created it; you just point it at something, press the button and it draws whatever it's looking at in a second. Isn't it amazing!? It does people as well. I reckon there must be a little fairy inside with a sketch pad, but Momo says it's all to do with mechanical stuff. You know she loves messing around with Techno Age things. _

She looked at the other piece of paper- and laughed. It was a black and white picture of Ryu standing in a sunlit field with a cheesy grin on his face, holding a huge cabbage in his hands.

"Wow, it really was big," she said to herself, and proceeded to turn the photo over in her hands, marvelling that drawing something this way was even possible. It didn't even look like a drawing; it was so realistic looking it was as though she was right there with Ryu. Momo really is amazing, she thought.

She hung about a little longer, propping the photograph up on her dressing table and thinking through various things. Then she yawned, closed the curtains, blew out the lamp and fell back into bed. She was asleep in seconds.

Nina woke to light on her face. Her maids were in the room, one of them pulling back the curtains she'd shut what felt like just moments ago.

"Good morning Princess," said one of them, when she realised Nina was awake.

"Mnnn…" said Nina, throwing an arm over her eyes and burrowing down into her covers.

"The King wanted us to tell you that you're to be meeting with Lord Edmund today," the maid said," he wants to show you some of the things he's brought back from the South." Nina stirred a little and removed her hand.

"Even after what happened yesterday?" she asked, her voice still slurred from sleep.

The maid couldn't help but let a grin slide onto her face. "It seems so," she said, but could help but burst out afterwards; "I'm probably going to be the first person to say this Princess Nina, but that was** spectacular** yesterday! You had the whole castle in an uproar; you should have heard the cooks! They laughed so much Marie dropped his pot on his foot! Nothing so interesting has happened here in _months_!"

Nina listened to this, feeling puzzled. She'd thought everyone would be angry and disappointed in her. The older maid tutted as she tied back the other curtain.

"Oh come on Lyn!" said the exuberant youth, "you laughed as well! You can't deny it."

"Maybe a little," admitted Lyn.

Nina sat up, pulling her nightgown from around her waist back to her knees. "I feel bad about it," she said, "but… I don't know if I'm up to seeing him again. Plus… as soon as I get close to friendly with him, Mother will shove me in a wedding dress and run me up the aisle."

"If she was really that determined she would have done it weeks ago, Miss. The fact that she's letting you at least meet your suitors means that she cares for you," Lyn said.

"More like Father made her…" said Nina under her breath.

"You should at least give him a chance Princess, it's what your mother deserves."

Nina put her head in her hands.

"What do you think Annie?" she said.

"Well…" said the young maid, "he is pretty cute," and she giggled and blushed pink.

Nina groaned. "You're all against me."

She clambered out of bed and began pulling off her nightgown. Her maids watched quizzically. "No fashion advice today?" she asked.

"You're going to meet with him then?" said a surprised Lyn.

"…I might as well… I think. Like you said, I might as well give him a chance. I have my duty to the kingdom… plus I want to apologise for punching him, I do feel bad about that."

"Well then," said Lyn, pulling open the wardrobe, "let's see what we can do. How about this?" she carefully brought out a knee length white dress with a wide skirt and a sash around the middle, which was to be tied in a bow at the back. There was a short layer of ruffles gathered below the skirt, and some pretty silver embroidery on the edges.

"Ooh, that's so pretty Princess!" exclaimed Annie. "You haven't worn that in ages, I'd forgotten you had it!"

Nina glanced at it. "That'll do," she said, and she allowed her maids to help her into it. She pulled on her stockings, having to change them for another pair when she half had them on because Lyn spotted a run in them. Annie brushed her hair next, crooning over how soft it was, and tying on a silk white headband dusted with silver stars.

"There," she said, standing back and squeezing her hands together. "You look lovely Miss. Lord Edmund won't be able to take his eyes of you."

Nina wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Do you want some make-up on today Princess?" asked Lyn, picking up the powder puff on the dressing table.

"You know I don't touch that stuff Lyn."

The older maid shrugged. "I tried," she said simply.

A young man in tights and the clothes of a castle messenger knocked on the door. Nina called for him to come in, and he entered, making the standard bow that was due in front of the Princess.

"Breakfast is ready, Your Royal Highness," he said, and Nina nodded courteously.

"Just a second," she said, and she pulled on her shoes, Annie lacing them up for her. She followed the young messenger down the stairs to the dining room. As she did, she noticed the amused looks sent her way from all the staff. Blushing, she lowered her head. Before she knew it, she was sitting at the table opposite her mother.

"You're… looking nice today, daughter of mine," Sheila said, surprise evident in her voice.

"Thank you Mother," said Nina.

"You know you're meeting with Lord Edmund today, don't you dear?" she asked, sure that Nina couldn't possibly have dressed so nicely if she knew that fact.

"Yes, I know," Nina replied, and Sheila's face became even more puzzled. She hadn't expected her wayward daughter to be so obedient on this matter. The king caught Nina's eyes and smiled proudly at her.

"He's meeting you in the water gardens at ten 'o clock," the king said.

"Okay," she said. She paused. "Does that mean I don't have to do my court duties this afternoon?"

The king could almost sigh at the hopeful expression on her face. "Very well, you're excused from your duties today."

She smiled, thinking; At least some good is coming from this. She then helped herself to some posset, as her father called for the ale.

At ten o'clock on the dot Nina went resignedly to the water gardens behind the castle. Only royalty and the gardening staff were allowed there, so it was nearly always quiet. When she was younger Nina had used it as a sanctuary, coming to hide in the groves of exotic trees to get away from her family, or to have a good cry. Nina didn't cry anymore, but it was till a good place for some peace and quiet- something you didn't get a lot of inside the castle.

The gardens were as beautiful as ever; the trees were vivacious and bushy leaved, the summer flowers were in glorious full bloom and the water ran clear through the steams and fountains. It was all powered by wind, so there wasn't really a lot for the gardeners to do. The wind turned the windmills, which pumped the water though the gardens and kept the artificial steams flowing. Nina wasn't sure how it all worked, but however it did, it was amazing. She only wished her father would lift the royals-only thing so she could show Momo it. Nina was sure she'd love figuring out how it all worked.

She found Edmund on the bench by the lily pond, a red rose in his shirt pocket. She wrinkled up her nose and pretended to be sick, glad that he couldn't see her yet.

Ugh, she thought, I hope he's not one of those awful romantics, with all their corny red roses and love poetry. She eyed the rose some more. At least I can't see any love poetry.

She walked out from behind the willow tree she was using to hide, and took a deep breath.

Edmund stood up when he saw her coming and kissed her hand. "You're looking beautiful today, Princess," he said, and as he straightened up again she couldn't help but notice the big purpling bruise on his jaw. She drew herself up; using what she believed was called her 'royal stature' and began to speak.

"Lord Edmund," she said confidently, "I'd like to apologise to you for what happened yesterday. That was a big mistake on my part, and you have my sincerest apologies."

Edmund looked at her with what she thought must be amusement. "It's fine," he said. "Nothing a bit of ice and time won't fix. Though I am curious to what I actually did wrong. I enquired the matter with the Queen, but I think she must have been feeling a bit odd because she just mumbled something about poached salmon."

Nina stifled a laugh.

"I thought you wanted to marry me," she said simply, not bothering to lie.

"Oh," he said, unsure what reply that called for.

"Do you?" she asked.

"Well… the Queen has asked me to court you, but I promise I won't force you to marry me if you really don't want to," he laughed.

"Oh… alright then," Nina said amiably.

"You're not going to hit me again?" he said.

"No," she said, "I don't think so."

He held out his arm to her. "Shall we go then, Princess Nina?" She took it.

They walked arm in arm through the gardens and back though the castle. Everyone stopped and stared as they past, flabbergasted to see the man their Princess had knocked out just a day before now walking peacefully with him, arms linked. They shook their heads and shrugged it away, putting it down to them being 'royal types'. Those who knew the Princess were a little more than surprised however.

"Isn't….isn't that the Princess?" asked a shocked senior guard, peering around a pillar to get a closer look.

"It is," said the squire with him, looking equally surprised. "The Queen must have threatened her with the rack to get her to agree to this."

The castle gates were opened for the Princess and her suitor, and they went though, Nina increasingly wondering if she was doing the right thing.

They were heading to a building near the bakery in Upper Wyndia. It had been a shop before, Nina remembered, but it had never attracted many customers and had long since closed down. Edmund held open the door for her and she went in, gazing all around her.

It had been an understatement when he had said that they'd brought back lots from the South- they'd brought masses. Piles of pottery, tableware and strange metal objects lined the room. There was barely enough space to walk between it all.

"We've been trying to organise it," Edmund staid, stepping over a large patterned urn. "But it's proved harder than we thought, as you can see. The things we have done are sorted upstairs though."

It was like being in a giant treasure trove, Nina thought. Gold and metal glinted at you from everywhere. It was almost too much to take in.

She picked up a strange little gold object from the top of a mountain of treasures and looked at it. It was a beautiful model of a flying insect made from gold, with the wings sculpted out of the thinnest leaf.

"This is amazing," she said in awe, "and they really gave you all this?"

"Tobacco's very rare in the South," said Edmund, "it's worth its weight in gold. We brought a lot with us to trade, which is just as well. They went completely mad for it."

"I'm surprised you didn't get robbed." Nina turned the model over in her hands, noticing a little embossed circle on the bottom.

"Oh, but we did," he said, making Nina look up. "We were attacked by bandits in the night about two weeks after we crossed the mountains. They'd had heard how much tobacco we had and they wanted it for themselves. We managed to fight them off, but a few still managed to escape."

"Did you ever find them again?"

"No, we never saw them- or our tobacco- again. They were a of Grassrunner clan."

"That's the tribe you got most of this from isn't it?"

"They're a big tribe."

Nina curiously touched the circle on the insect- and it clicked in. The gold leaf wings stretched and began flapping as though they were alive, moving up and down so fast they blurred like a hummingbird's. A low whine filled the air. She watched in surprise, though not fear, as it darted above her head and zoomed jumpily about the room.

"My goodness," she said, her eyes following it as it bounced repeatedly against the window.

"Well I never…" murmured Edmund, apprehensively rubbing his head. "I didn't know we brought anything like that back. Those Grassrunners were more talented than we thought… but how do you suppose you get it to come down?"

Nina held out her hand, "Here little bug," she said hopefully, and the insect darted back into it. She pressed the button again and at once it was as lifeless as the relics around them.

"Amazing," said Edmund, a hint of amusement in his voice.

She held it up to the light. "Isn't it?" she said.

"You can have that if you like, there's plenty more."

"Thank you," Nina said, slipping the mechanical bug into her bow with a real smile. For the first time then, she really looked at Edmund. Her maid Annie was right; he was handsome. He had light brown hair cut short, but not too short. A well sculpted face with chiselled, slightly rough looking features. Eyes like hers. It was this however that made her realise she would find it difficult to ever become attracted to him. It was sort of hard to become aroused with your own eyes looking back at you.

"Are you alright Princess?" he asked when he noticed her staring.

Nina snapped back to reality. "Yes, sorry. I got caught up thinking."

"Do you want to look upstairs now? That's where we've put the most interesting things."

Edmund's idea of 'interesting things' meant the shiniest, prettiest and most valuable looking objects. A few makeshift tables had been spread out in the room, with the most precious things locked up in glass cases. There were necklaces and earrings laid out, rubies and diamonds piled up like mere rocks. Evidently the inhabitants of the South didn't understand the true value of the things they had, if they traded such expensive things for _tobacco._

Nina browsed round the quickly-improvised museum for a little while, taking out the mechanical insect and playing with it. Edmund slipped away as she inspected a truly massive pot with pictures of the dog people on it, bringing out a glass display case she hadn't seen from underneath one of the tables. He unlocked it with a key from his pocket, emptying the contents and hiding it behind his back.

"Close your eyes and turn around Princess," he said to her, "I have a surprise for you."

Hesitating, Nina gave him an unsure look.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked.

She wanted to say "I hardly know you" but bit her tongue, instead agreeing with an "Okay."

She closed her eyes, feeling nervous. Something cold pressed against her neck and she felt firm hands clicking something into position and shifting it around. She repressed a shiver.

"Don't open them just yet," said Edmund. "Come over this way, I'll guide you." Those firm hands, rough and calloused from years of adventuring took hers and carefully led her across the room. She made small steps, afraid that she'd trip.

"Now open," he said, removing his hands.

As her eyelids fluttered open, she caught the dazzle of something from around her neck. She gasped. Nina was not one who could easily be bought by jewelry and pretty soft things, but at the necklace draped around her neck, reflected in the antique mirror, even she had to admit defeat. It was not a big and gaudy thing, but a work of art; made from silver, sapphires and delicate moonstones, all cut and shaped with the sharpest of tools. She touched it gently with her hands, hardly daring lest she damage it.

"What do you think?" asked Edmund, standing back with a proud look on his face.

"It's lovely," she said breathlessly.

"It's yours," he said.

"Thank you Lord Edmund," Nina said, turning around to face him. "You… you have my gratitude."

He kissed her on the hand once more, his lips lingering. "It's my pleasure, Princess." He looked up and her and smiled. "Now, would you like to share some tea with me? I haven't been to the café here in a very long time, and I hear they do some truly excellent scones."


	3. Enter Ryu

_A Princess's Duty_

_III_

_**Enter Ryu**_

Dinner was a quiet affair that night. Nina and Lord Edmund's date had gone well, too well. Sheila was quite unnerved, she'd expected her incorrigible daughter to come back aggravated and angry, shouting at her that she would never, ever see the man again. But apart from the expected polite words, Nina was silent. She'd expected the date to crash and burn, no, she had wanted it to. That way she would have been given reason to rebel. But Edmund was nothing but courteous and kind to her, and she was quite at a loss.

"Nina," her mother said to her, and to which she got a blank stare. "That's a lovely necklace; I don't think I've seen it before."

"Lord Edmund gave it to me," she said, fingering the moonstones round her neck absently.

"How kind of him," said the King.

"Yes…" said Nina quietly, her face undecipherable. Abruptly, she sat up straight, wiping the lethargic look off her face. "He's asked me to meet him again on Friday. Lord Edmund, I mean."

"Where does he want to meet you?" asked Sheila, a pleased look plastered all over her.

"His manor. He wants to have dinner with me there." She paused, "I didn't even know he had a manor."

"It belongs to my brother- his father. He was an Edmund as well, but he died some years ago. I doubt you'll remember," said the King.

"Oh right," Nina said, picking up her fork and turning it in her food.

"As the King's brother, he of course owned quite a great deal of land. As Edmund- your Edmund- was the eldest son, he inherited it all; he was quite young then too."

Nina didn't miss the 'your Edmund', it struck at her heart like an icey knife. The food in her mouth suddenly felt cold, and the realisation of what she was getting herself into fell straight on top of her again. "Mother, Father," she said quietly, "I'm not feeling too well. Please excuse me." She stood up gracefully and walked-perhaps a little faster than usual- out of the room.

The came a slight pause.

"Do you think she really is ill?" asked the King tiredly.

"Of course not," snapped the Queen.

There had always been something in Nina, something natural and instinctive, that felt cooled by the wind. When she was agitated or angry it calmed her. When she was worried it reassured her. When she was depressed it soothed and caressed her. So naturally, whenever she felt one of more of those things Nina could be found outside, in some high up place.

"I don't know if I can do this," she said to the wind, hands on the balcony railing. "It's too hard."

The wind whispered around her, curtains from her room billowing out behind her. Don't worry, it said. You'll be alright. Just wait.

And in the air she felt something stirring, like the approach of something important.

x

Shouldering a huge pack, Ryu grinned to himself as he approached the gates of Wyndia. It had been a long journey, and he'd made the decision to carry on travelling after dark since he was looking forward to sleeping on something else other than the rock-littered ground. The inn in Wyndia was decent, he remembered.

Before he approached the night guard he slipped off his pack and rummaged through it, pulling out a wide brimmed traveller's hat. He stuffed it on his head, pushing his spikes flat. Then he hauled his heavy bag back on and set off swiftly towards the gate. He really didn't want to be arrested, so it was best he kept a low profile while he was in Wyndia. There was still the threat that some of the long-serving guards might recognise him. It had been a long time since he was a boy, but his hair colour wasn't exactly common, and he didn't want to risk it.

"Halt!" cried a sleepy looking watchman on the gate when he saw Ryu approaching. He quickly got off the ground from where he'd been slumped nursing a bottle of beer. "State your name and business."

"My name's Garr Peco," Ryu said quickly, using the first names that came into his mind. "I'm a traveller, seeking lodgings for the night here."

The watchman rubbed his head drowsily. "Gar Pico? That's a strange name. Ah well, head on through. Just don't go causing any trouble, I know what you foreign types are like." He scrunched his red eyes up at Ryu in what he apparently thought was an intimidating manner.

"Uh, thanks," said Ryu as the guard settled back down into his disorderly drunkenness on the stone ground.

He paid for a room in the Inn, thinking he'd do best to do it before the proprietor himself went to sleep. Afterwards, he headed to the pub; they were always a good source of information, and besides, he could do with a drink.

It was crowded inside, with a good deal of noise and a layer of rising smoke that hugged the ceiling. He wondered if there was some sort of special event going on, since it was so packed. He supposed it could just be because there was something particularly interesting to talk about though.

It took a while for the barmaid to notice him. He had to holler to get her attention in the end, after waiting patiently at the bar for some minutes.

"Sorry darlin', I didn't see you there," she said, wiping her hands on her dress. "It's awfully busy t'night, we're almost swept off our feet. So what's it gonna be?"

"Just one beer thanks," said Ryu, passing over some coins. Then he added; "Is there some sort of event going on tonight, or is it always like this?"

"Nah, it's neither. But you'll have to ask one of the fellas I'm 'fraid, I have to--hold yer mouth, I'm a commin' already!" She plonked his beer down on the bar, some of the froth spilling out onto the table. She swept off to another customer.

Ryu took a sip of his drink to stop it from flowing over when he walked, and then proceeded to start the arduous task of finding a table. Most of them were full, but he managed to find a seat with some middle-aged Wyndians who didn't mind his company.

"Where'd you hail from? You look like a traveller," one of them said.

"Dauna," Ryu said, it was perfectly true enough.

"A fine place, I've been there many times myself… I'm Wendel, this is Sam and Boris."

"Garr Peco," said Ryu, stretching his hand to all of them in turn.

"You ever been to Wyndia before?" asked one, Ryu thought it might be Sam.

"Once or twice," said Ryu, taking a gulp of his drink. "I'm meeting a friend here tomorrow, well… I hope I am, anyway."

"So you just got here tonight huh?" asked Boris, who was a Wyndian with an iron grey beard and an eager look on his face.

"Yeah."

"So-uh- you haven't heard much of what's been going on here lately then?" He leant in on his elbows.

"No, no really," said Ryu, a little intrigued; it seemed like it was gossip that had drawn such a crowd after all. It must be pretty good gossip too, it was a nice sized crowd.

A great grin landed on Boris's face. "Apparently," he said, "the Queen is forcing Princess Nina to marry- otherwise she's said she'll put her on the rack."

"That's not right," interrupted Sam. "I know someone who knows someone who actually _heard_ the Queen tying the Princess up in the tower and telling her that she wouldn't be allowed out till she agreed to take a suitor."

"No, no, no," said Wendel, shaking his head. "**I** heard that the Queen was going to _disinherit _her if she didn't."

Ryu looked at them in surprise and amusement; he'd forgotten what gossip did to tales. It was as though a game of Chinese whispers was going on.

"Uh," he said, "but did any of you actually hear this stuff for yourselves?"

"No," they all said, comically in union.

"But like I said, I got it from a friend of a friend who works in the castle," added Sam.

Ryu thought about it, and the more he did, the more worried he became. From what he knew of Nina's mother, that all seemed entirely possible.

"So what's happening? Is she getting married?"

Sam shook his head. "Not yet," he said, "but it seems to be heading that way. She was out with a man her age holding his arm. They went into the old abandoned shop first, and then they went to the café."

"The abandoned shop?" Ryu asked, his eyes bulging. He couldn't seem to find an innocent reason for why a woman and her suitor should go into an abandoned building on their own.

The Wyndians took one look at his face and burst out laughing. Wendel slapped him on the back. "The Princess has more chastity than that, I should hope!" His words were punctuated with bouts of laughter. "Those explorers from the South are using it to hoard all the junk they brought back. I think the man with the Princess mighta' been Lord Edmund, actually."

"Lord Edmund?" questioned Ryu.

"He was the lead explorer, and he's a royal too. The King's nephew, I believe. He's got a huge estate out of town."

"Hang on, hang on…" said Ryu slowly, holding up a finger to stop Wendel. "That doesn't make any sense. How could he be Nina's- uh, I mean _Princess_ Nina's suitor… if he's related to her?"

Wendel let out a long deep sigh. "You're really not from around here, are you Garr? Tell you what, buy us some more drinks and we'll explain it all to you."

A few minutes later and Ryu was back, holding four full mugs haphazardly in his arms. The Wyndians all grinned up at their new benefactor and started gulping down their drinks with gay abandon.

"You see Garr," said Wendel, "the royal family here have a custom of… uh, well… marrying their relatives. It's all about keeping the blood pure, keeping their wings. There are a lot of people who feel strongly about it, but we're not too fussed. Their wings don't do anything but look pretty, so what's the point?" The question was rhetoric, and he didn't pause long before carrying on. "Anyway… it seems like the King and Queen have decided the Princess ought to settle down, though I dunno however they managed to do it."

"This Edmund guy…" said Ryu, "what's he supposed to be like?" He felt more than a bit concerned for Nina; whatever must it be like to marry your cousin? He decided to speak to her about it when he next saw her, and make sure she wasn't being bullied into this.

"My neighbour used to work as a gardener at his estate," said Boris. "Apparently he's a decent fellow, a bit up himself, but what do you expect from a man his age who owns all that land? It'd go to anyone's head straight away. He's not very tolerant towards foreigners though; he won't employ any non-humans at all. Says he won't ever buy anything from a 'fishman'."

"Hm," said Ryu, wondering if this was the best person to be courting his friend. He would definitely have to see her about this. He didn't like the sound of it at all.

As Ryu questioned the Wyndians more, he ended up not just buying them one round, but four. Apparently gossip was expensive in this town. By the time they'd finished, they all completely and utterly drunk.

At around eleven o'clock Ryu and his new friends stumbled out of the pub singing 'One Manillo went to mow' at the top of their voices. They joined up with the now equally drunk watchman and went swimming together in the fountain. After that they tried to chase a tabby cat so they could cook it, but their motor abilities were so impaired that they just ended up tripping over each other. The neighbours shouted at them, Boris threw up, and after that they decided they should probably call it quits for the night.

And it was in this manner that Ryu stumbled drunkenly back to the Inn, making owl noises at the roosting pigeons on the way, and ending the eventful night by passing out on the floor next to his bed.

x

The day after was beautiful and bright. It was the peak of summer, and there was nary a cloud in the sky. Nina sighed, and looked away from the window. She was in the throne room seated next to her mother and father. Three times a week ordinary people were allowed into the castle to seek council from the King, and Nina nearly always had to attend. For of course, she would be doing this herself someday.

People from all over the provinces of Wyndia came to state their grievances. There were farmers whose land had been stolen, villagers who complained of unfair taxes, once there had been a woman who didn't know what to cook her husband for dinner.

It was often tedious work; the King would hear them and then give them either advice, compensation or tell them to stop wasting his time.

They had just finished listening to an old decrepit man who complained loudly of the price of apples at the weekly market and Nina could feel herself going to sleep. She had always hated the citizen's council when she was a child, and it seemed not much had really changed since then. She always used to hope someone interesting would come with tales of murder and stolen treasure- but, inevitably, it usually turned out to be about moving market day from Tuesday to Wednesday, or building a cake shop so the children could have somewhere else to spend their parents' money at.

Leaning back against her chair, Nina rested her head against it and closed her eyes. Sheila swatted her daughter on the head. "Show some more respect for your people," she whispered darkly, "you're supposed to be their Princess."

"But this isn't helping people Mother. If I wanted to help people I'd get out of the castle and help them, not sit on a cushy seat handing out advice."

"Just do what you're told," Sheila said grumpily. The King glanced distractedly at them from where he was trying to listen to a timid woman who kept stuttering and tripping over her words.

Nina sat through the next few people in a sort of stupor, wondering absently if there was going to be anything good for lunch. But she looked up as the guards admitted the next person, catching something familiar in the way the young man entering was walking.

Her eyes widened as she realised that dressed in old travelling clothes, worn shoes and a wide-brimmed hat, Ryu was approaching the throne.

He walked confidently up the red carpet and bowed first to the King, the Queen, and then lastly to Nina, adding in a discreet wink which neither her mother or father saw.

"You majesty," he said, addressing the King in his most courteous voice, "I am a farmer on your lands, and as of late a number of chickens have been stolen from my coop. I put up a fence, but it seemed to make no difference. So I came to you, King, to ask advice."

The King opened his mouth to speak but before he could begin, Nina butted in. It was rude, she knew, but she could deal with the consequences of it later.

"Farmer," she said, "the King will do much more than give advice; he will send his only daughter to help you defeat the thread of these heinous thieves and ensure your livelihood on your farm." It was absolutely ludicrous, but she pulled it off, standing up out of her seat.

Sheila tugged at the corner of her dress, whispering "What. Are. You. Doing?!" The King looked at Nina with a mixture of annoyance, curiosity and confusion.

Ryu, smothering a laugh, bowed. "Thank you Princess, I would never have expected such a service."

Nina walked proudly down from the throne, her most dignified look thrown casually over her face. "Lead the way, farmer," she said, and with that, Princess Nina walked out of the room next to her old 'kidnapper', leaving her bewildered parents sat unaware on their seats.

As soon as they were out of sight of everyone, standing behind the bakery, Ryu took off his hat and Nina threw herself on him, embracing her old friend.

"Ryu!" she cried, all dignitaries dropping straight out of her voice. "You really surprised me! You're such a show-off! Why couldn't you just have met me normally?"

"I didn't know how else I could get to you," said Ryu with a huge toothy grin.

"How about sending me a message?" Nina said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, whoops," a goofy smile replaced the grin. "I didn't think of that one. Still, it was pretty good, wasn't it?"

They both laughed.

"You haven't changed one bit Ryu," said Nina affectionately, and she led her friend down and out of the town, where they might, perhaps, talk in peace.

* * *

For some reason I find the idea of Ryu getting drunk with a group of middle-aged Wyndians very amusing... but pehaps that's just me! Please lemme' know what you all think of this chapter.


	4. Taking the Middle Road

A/N- I'm currently very annoyed, since my Breath of Fire 3 disc won't load my data, and I was near the end as well. :( Pehaps it'll work if I threaten to use the disc as a frisbee and throw it off the roof.

...Ah well. Thank you to all my reviewers, I hope you all enjoy this one.

_A Princess's Duty_

_IV_

_**Taking the Middle Road**_

Nina hopped across the stepping stones over the small trickling stream, joining Ryu on the other side. She held up the ends of her long red dress she was wearing as she crossed, so to stop herself from tripping. Ryu offered her a hand as she jumped the last stone but she waved him off and got down herself, using her wings to steady her.  
frogs

They were a little way out of Wyndia, in a valley of forests and fields. The town and castle were still visible over the valley, windmills turning in the breeze.

"Nice cabbage, by the way," commented Nina as she stepped over a fallen tree, attempting to start conversation. "It wasn't one of those crysm enhanced ones though, was it?"

"Nope," said Ryu, "well… it didn't taste like one anyway."

"It must have taken weeks to eat that thing."

"It did," he said, and he gestured around him. "Are we far enough away now? I don't think anyone will hear us here." He rubbed the side of his head, trying to hide a wince from Nina.

"Yes, we should be fine here." They sat down on some of thelogs in the sun, lifting them out of the long grass filled with the chirping crickets that were making so much noise. Ryu took off his bag, a much smaller one than the pack he had arrived with, and got out a bundle of bread rolls wrapped up in clean cloth. He offered one to Nina.

"Want one?" he asked. "I bought them from the bakery today. Here- they're still warm."

"Thanks," said Nina, taking the warm roll and biting into it. Ryu took one of his own and proceeded to knock it back with a vengeance. Nina smiled at him as he munched down another. "It's nice to see someone eat as fast as they want. At the castle we have to eat like this." She moved the bread delicately to her mouth and took a tiny bite out of it.

"Your lunch must take hours to eat," laughed Ryu, "that looks more like a rat's been nibbling at it than a person."

"It does take ages," said Nina solemnly. "But that's just the way things go, I suppose. It's all going to change when I'm Queen though; there'll be none of this fancy-pancy stuff then!"

"Oh," Ryu finished stuffing the bread into his face and looked seriously towards his friend. He looked like someone who had just remembered something- which was exactly what had happened. "There's something I wanted to ask you about. I heard you're getting married."

There came a long pause.

"Oh," Nina said, unintentionally mirroring Ryu. "Well… no, not yet anyway. Hopefully never."

"You don't know?"

"It's… difficult to explain," she said, creasing her brow and fiddling with the index finger of her left hand with her right. "I don't really know what to do, to be honest."

"Tell me about it then; I might be able to help. Is your mother forcing you into it?"

"Yes, but it's more complicated that than… I'm making myself do it, sort of. You see Ryu, it's my duty to the kingdom that I marry, and that I marry one of royal blood. I passed the marriage age years ago, so I'm lucky this hasn't happened before really. I just… I just feel like I'm betraying myself by doing this. I don't want to get married! I don't want to be chained to someone I barely know for the rest of my life. But I have to, it's my duty."

"That's some problem," said Ryu after a moment. "I know how you must feel though. Isn't there some way you can get out of it? Do you want me to kidnap you again?"

Nina laughed and shook her head, still fiddling with her fingers.

"Then... if you don't like this bloke, can't you pick another at least? Surely there's more than one man in your family."

"Yes, I could. But to be honest Lord Edmund is the best out of all of them. Uh, Lord Edmund is my suitor. My mother made me meet a lot of men before him, most were absolutely dreadful. They were either really old, really young, or they had terrible personalities. And they were all so big-headed! Just talking to them made me mad!"

Ryu couldn't help but laugh. "I really can't imagine you like that Nina, being courted by elderly suitors. I'm surprised you didn't hit them."

"Uh… actually, I did," said Nina, turning pink. Ryu burst out into laughter, his own face reddening, but with amusement.

"You're joking!" he exclaimed.

"Nope," she said, embarrassed.

"That's just brilliant!" he laughed even harder, and Nina's embarrassment ebbed away. She started laughing too. Suddenly it all seemed so funny; she could hardly stop to breathe.

Eventually it tailed off, and Nina gasped out; "I'd never thought about it like that!"

"What did he do when you hit him?"

"He fell out of his chair and laid there till the doctor brought him round," she said, her shoulders still racked with amusement.

"You knocked him out?" exclaimed Ryu, doubling over with laughter.

"I did!" said Nina.

They laughed harder and harder, until eventually it died down and the joke wore off, Nina clapping Ryu on the arm, almost falling onto him.

"Seriously though," she said, wiping a tear from her eye, "what am I going to do?"

Ryu took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to regain his composure. "Why don't you just tell your parents you don't want to get married?" he suggested.

"Do you really think my mother would listen to me if I told her that?"

"Yeah, but what's the worst she could do?"

"Disown me," Nina said very seriously.

"Well… do you really want to be a Queen?"

"It's not that I do or don't want to be Queen. I have to be. I've been preparing for this my whole life, I can't give it up now. It's… not easy to explain." She picked up a round pebble from between the blades of grass and rolled it between her fingers.

"But... listen, surely they wouldn't disown you. Who else would be Queen? You're the only heir, aren't you?

She shook her head. "It can pass on to another line. It'd probably go to one of my father's brothers. He has a few of them."

"Yes, but… you're the Princess. The way I understand it, one of the main reasons Kings and Queens have children is to have a heir that will succeed the throne and carry on their line."

"That's the thing Ryu. I don't know what they'd do. That's what's making it so hard. If I knew what they'd do I'd be able to make a decision, but as it stands…. I'm not sure. Father talked to me about the 'duty of princesses' and 'doing what's best for the kingdom' and I want to do it, I really do. But I also want to do what's right for me. And… I… I'm torn."

Ryu fixed Nina with a thoughtful stare, wondering what he should say or suggest. The idea of marrying your cousin sounded completely and utterly barmy to him, but he kept in mind that Nina was a royal, and that whatever she did altered what people thought of Wyndia. It was a hard thing to muse over though- he wasn't used to thinking like this.

"Well then… if you're not sure, maybe you should just keep your options open. Just because you go out with this guy doesn't mean you have to marry him, no matter what your mother says. And if it gets too tough, you can always book me for a good kidnapping session sometime in the dead of the night."

But there's only a certain amount of time you can stand at the crossroads for, thought Nina. Sooner of later you have to pick a path.

"Thanks for talking to me about this Ryu, and for offering to kidnap me. I'll go with the middle road for now… but I think I'm going to need to think it over some more."

"Alright," said Ryu, and then he reached out, gently touching Nina's shoulder. Her arm tingled unexpectedly. "Just… be careful. I'd hate to see you trapped in an ugly marriage... I'm worried about you."

She put her own hand over his. "Thank you… I'm worried about me, too."

A sound of padded footsteps reached their ears, the rustling noise of leather shoes on grass. A Wyndian messenger was jogging up the slight slope towards them, his face flushed and breath shallow. Ryu removed his hand from Nina's shoulder quickly.

"Pr-Princess Nina," he stammered outcoming up to them and sucking in deep breaths of air. "I-I have a message. From the Queen."

"Take your time," said Nina, "don't suffocate on account of me." Ryu looked over at her curiously; a whole different identity seemed to have suddenly come upon her. She spoke more formally, she even held herself differently. He realised this must be how she had to act back at the castle. It was still interesting however.

"Thank you Princess. Very kind of you." The messenger took a few moments to get his breath back, the red on his face receding. He drew himself up, trying to regain his lost dignity. "The Queen asks you to return to the castle, Princess." He turned to Ryu. "Her Majesty also says that if the farmer presents himself again at the next council he will be paid the full amount that his chickens were worth."

"That's it?" asked Nina. "She didn't say that if I didn't get back soon, she'd have me hanged?"

The messenger rubbed his head a little nervously. "Actually Princess, I think she was more worried than anything else. It's… probably not my place to say, but she does worry terribly over you. She's always afraid you won't come back you see, ever since you were kidnapped as a child." Ryu suppressed a snort. The messenger looked anxiously down to the ground, a nervous look on his face. "I'm sorry; I probably shouldn't have said that."

"Its fine," said Nina, looking thoughtful, "I won't tell the Queen, if that's what you're worried about."

"Thank you," he said, relieved.

The three of them went back to the town together. As the entered a group of middle-aged Wyndians sitting up at the café noticed them and grinned, yelling "Hey Garr!" and waving.

Nina looked behind them. "Huh? Garr? Are they looking at us?"

"No, just me," Ryu said embarrassedly, trying not to gain eye contact with the Wyndians.

"They know you?"

"Uh, yeah, sorta. But believe me, you'd rather not know."

He said goodbye at the steps to the café, telling Nina he wanted to have a look in the weapons shop for a new sword. (His old one had become chipped.) Nina let him go reluctantly, trudging back to the castle with the messenger, where she would be no doubt scolded into oblivion.

"Nina!" Sheila shrieked as her daughter walked through the door. "How dare you walk out like that! What do you think you were doing?"

"Helping the people, like I'm supposed to," said Nina amiably.

"Don't you dare take that attitude with me young lady; go to your room and stay there. In fact… you can stay in the castle all day and tomorrow as well! That'll teach you to do as you're told."

"Mother!" Nina exclaimed angrily, realising that it meant she wouldn't be able to see Ryu for some time. "That's… that's not fair! I'm not a child anymore, you know!"

"Well then you can stop acting like one! Now go to your room!" Sheila swept off, the tail of her dress sweeping angrily along the floor. Nina stood still for a minute, her hands balled up in fury. Then she took a deep breath and relaxed them, walking up to her room with her head held high.

She was only up there for an hour, passing the time by practicing her magic on glass bottles she lined up on the balcony, before she was dragged back down again. Lord and Lady Somebody had arrived from the noble land of Somewhere, and she had to help come greet them. After that her tutor came, there to instruct her on the tedious rules of grammar and the many prosperous years of Wyndian history, not to mention the 'proper' ways of writing a formal letter to noblemen and women. She was used to this all though, and didn't complain. She'd leant some years ago that it was necessary, though that didn't make it any more interesting.

Dinner was taken with the Lord and Lady Somebody that had arrived earlier, and the rest of the evening passed in dignities and polite words. But there was something that was bothering Nina. Despite how 'used to' she was to all of this, she just couldn't seem to concentrate on what was happening. She kept thinking of how much fun she'd had with Ryu that morning, and how much 'fun', if it could be called that, she was having now. It was distracting, but she couldn't seem to stop thinking about it, and when Lady Somebody asked her what Lord Edmund was like, and when she replied something she couldn't even remember, all she could think of was 'I wonder what Ryu's doing now…?'


	5. A Little Piece of Heaven

_A Princess's Duty_

_V_

_**A Little Piece of Heaven**_

"And this was commissioned by my father- drawn by the great Nirasso, you know."

Nina was at Edmund's manor house, a large and spacious high-roofed building with acres and acres of land out the back that seemed to go on forever. He was leading the princess through a long corridor with dozens of dull portraits and landscapes. Nina- who had no interest in art- was decidedly bored by it all, and hoped they would reach the end of it soon. You could tell by Edmund's face however that he was enraptured by it all, so much so that he couldn't even pick up how uninterested his companion had become.

"Ah! This is one of mine- I'd forgotten I hung it here…" It was a big canvas picture painted in watercolours. It depicted a set of gently sloping hills at sunset, with the grass and trees tinged with orange. There were a group of men with pickaxes and shovels slung over their backs winding their way over one of the hills. Even with her non-existent knowledge of art, Nina knew it was rather good.

"Where was this painted?" she asked.

"The Dauna Hills. Those are a group of miners; they meandered past while I was trying to paint the landscape there, so I stuck them in the picture."

"Do you paint a lot?"

"I mostly just sketch things, it helps me remember the places I've been to."

"Oh, I see," said Nina. She thought of telling him about the Autopicture machine Momo had invented, but decided against it. If she started telling people about it then everyone would want one, and she wasn't sure if Momo would be very happy about that.

They wandered out into the garden, Nina shielding her eyes from the bright sun. It was incredibly hot out, and she found she was fanning herself with her hand before long, though it didn't help much. She wished she'd brought a fan. The only relief was the inconsistent wind that swept over them once in a while, stirring their hair and ruffling their clothes. Edmund was dressed quite handsomely that day, with a white crisp looking shirt and black trousers and boots. It wasn't too fancy, which was what she liked, and made his wings (which were of the angelic shape, white dappled with grey) glow even brighter with the sunlight. A sudden question sprang on her.

"Can you fly with those?" she asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh, well not really. I can hover a little, but it takes a lot of effort."

"You're lucky," said Nina. "I can't use mine at all, since they're such a ridiculous shape."

"Ah well, they're very beautiful anyway. A lot of normal people would give an arm and a leg for the pair you've got."

"More fool to them then," she said.

Edmund squinted down at the carefully mown lawn, looking down near a patch of purple primroses. "Ah," he said, spotting something, "there he is. That's my troublesome brother Frederick down there, always lolloping about doing nothing he is."

Nina raised a hand over her forehead so she could see, and looked down at the part of the grass where Edmund was pointing. There was a boy laying there with his hands behind his head, staring off into the blue sky. She couldn't make many details out at this distance, but he looked about fifteen years old, with his most shocking feature his lions-mane blond hair that was a little longer than his brother's.

"Come on," said Edmund, "let's go and wake him up out of cuckoo land."

They walked down to him, the boy Frederick not even noticing them until Edmund nudged him in the head with the side of his boot.

"Oi!" he exclaimed.

"Don't 'oi' me, use proper English. I bet you've been out here all day, haven't you? Are you trying to figure out the meaning of life or something?"

"Shut up," snapped Frederick, rolling over onto his side.

"Be polite Fred, can't you see we have a guest? This is the Princess- this is Princess Nina."

Casually, as though greeting a favourite maid or gardener, Frederick turned back around, propping his head up with his elbow. "Hey," he said, his voice full of a sunny laziness.

Nina had to stifle a laugh, she liked Frederick already. He was a breath of fresh air compared to his proper and stuffy brother. You could tell they were related just by looking at them, though Frederick had a somewhat softer and more boyish face, and his features weren't quite as harsh on the eyes. His wings were more grey than Edmund's.

"I'm sorry you have to suffer such rude treatment from my brother, Princess," said Edmund. "He doesn't know his manners."

Frederick rolled his eyes, and Nina couldn't help but smile. She made eye contact for a second with the younger brother and an instant understanding flowed between them.

"It's fine," she said, and she fanned herself again with her hand. "It's so hot out here today."

"Sorry," said Edmund, "I should have thought earlier. I'll get one of the maids to bring you a drink- and I'll get one of those big parasols for us to sit under too, then we can stay out here longer and have something to eat."

He disappeared off to find a maid, calling out "Sarah!"

Nina waited until he was gone and then sat down on the grass, folding her legs underneath her. "Its days like this that make me feel glad I don't have any brothers," she said.

"Not all brothers are like that, it's just him," said Frederick, sitting up and facing her. "He's always been bossy, but he's been getting worse since a year ago."

"Why?" said Nina. "What happened a year ago?"

The sunny look vanished without a trace from Frederick. "Oh… our mother died last year."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine. I guess Ed acts bossy because he thinks I need someone to boss me about. But he doesn't understand how I feel."

"He says you like laying about doing nothing; is that… is that because you're thinking about it?"

Frederick looked at her searchingly, screwing his mouth up. "Yeah," he said at last. "Ed doesn't get that though, or he just tells me to stop whining on about it."

"Does he look after you then, or do you have some sort of guardian?"

"He does, unfortunately. But it's usually just me and the servants. He's usually off exploring some random place, or he's staying at the castle. I reckon he only comes back here to complain at me."

Nina listened carefully to all of this and what Frederick had to say after. It added layer after layer to her perception of her suitor, and besides, it was all very interesting.

When Edmund arrived back with the maid he was looking for at his side he was bemused to see his brother and Nina sitting and chatting like old friends.

"Uh, Sarah's… got the drinks," he said awkwardly, sitting down with them. Another servant scampered out of the house with a massive laced parasol which he set up behind the three members of Wyndian royalty to give them some shade, before he scadaddled off inside again.

"Lemonade from the lemon grove further down the garden," said Edmund, giving a glass to Nina and his brother. "Try not to spill it, I know how scatter-brained you are," he said to Frederick.

"They say being scatter-brained is a sign of a genius, you know," said Nina. She and Frederick shared a secret smile. Edmund merely shook his head, flummoxed.

At Nina's request, and since it was such a lovely day, they ate lunch in the garden, sitting in the shade of the parasol. Sarah brought them a picnic out and Nina had to admit afterwards that she had a lovely time- though, admittedly, she'd got to know Frederick better than Edmund. There was one good thing for him that came out of Nina and Frederick's instant friendship however. Since she ended up on first name terms with his younger brother, 'Lord Edmund' had of course to be upgraded to 'Edmund' as well. It would be awkward to address one as a lord, and the other just as 'Fred'.

Her carriage came to collect her at three o'clock, and she cheerfully climbed into it after saying her farewells, feeling that it had gone well. Though, as before, she wasn't sure whether that was a good thing or not. At any rate, she wanted to get back to Wyndia quickly and tell Ryu all about what had happened. She hadn't seen him over the last few days since she'd been stuck in the castle- her mother had kept her so busy with extra duties that she hadn't even had time to plan some sort of escape. Even worse, she'd had yet another row with Sheila yesterday which ended up in her mother telling her that she could very well stay in the castle for even longer. Nina got the feeling she was making excuses just to trap her daughter and stop her running away from her. That didn't make Nina any less mad however; she was sick of Sheila's neuroses and sick of her possessiveness over her.

As she sat in the trundling carriage making its way back to Wyndia, she knew she'd go find Ryu no matter what Sheila declared. She already had a plan…

Just before they reached the town Nina leant out of the window of the carriage to speak to the driver, who was a lanky but smartly dressed man with a moustashe.

"Kind sir," she said, adopting a sweet voice, though raising it so he would hear her. "Do you think you could please drop me off here?"

"I dunno Miss," he said, half turning his head towards her, "I've been given precise instructions to take you all the way in where the guards are gonna be waiting to collect you."

She took off her bracelet, silver with an emerald in the middle, and dangled it in front of him.

"Right you are Princess. Is here any good?" His wide eyes were glued to the bracelet.

"Here's fine, thank you," she said, dropping the jewlery into the driver's lap. He snatched it up greedily and stopped the carriage, scampering out to open the door for her. She took his hand and stepped down gracefully.

"And your clothes, please," she said, still using the same sweet, yet awe-inspiring princely voice.

"Wh-whut? My clothes?" the man stuttered.

"Yes, take them off and give them to me."

The man fought with himself for a minute, before looking down at the bracelet clasped tightly in his sweaty hand. Then he proceeded to throw of his clothes, stripping right down to his underwear. Nina took them and got back into the carriage, giving the driver a quick "Wait there," before shutting the door and closing the curtains. The man didn't even try to peep, he was much too busy gawking greedily at his new found riches.

x

With her disguise Nina was able to walk straight through the gates without being recognised. She'd pulled up her hair and stuffed it under the driver's hat, a grey flat cap. She also had a pair of brown trousers, a little too long for her, a dark jacket and leather shoes. She looked like a young and immensely pretty boy, perhaps a squire or son of a head servant. Though it was clear he must have had some status, since she couldn't find a way to disguise her wings and they stuck out the back of the jacket where she'd ripped two holes for them.

A group of teenage girls looked at her (or him) and swooned, making her feel very uncomfortable. Though she felt much more so when a pair of forty-year old men stared at her all the way as she went past, eating her up with their eyes. She pulled the cap further down over her head.

Nina found Ryu sitting at a table outside of the inn in the sun, playing some sort of card game with a Rhapalian man. The fisherman was holding the cards up high only a few inches away from his face, wearing a highly-strung and frustrated expression. As Nina approached he threw down his cards looking triumphant- until Ryu showed his, of course.

"Full house!" Ryu exclaimed, giving a wide toothy smile. The man broke down into tears and sobbed onto the table. Ryu gave him a sympathetic look and leant over, patting him on the head.

Nina reached them and stood awkwardly, joining her hands together behind her back. "Is this a bad time?" she asked.

Ryu looked up from where he was starting to stack his cards together and put them back into their box. "Oh hey Nina," he said, recognising her instantly. "What are you doing dressed like that?"

She waited until the man from Rhapala had finished crying and had stumbled away towards the inn to speak. "My mother's forbade me from leaving the castle; it was the only way I could think of to come and see you," she said.

"Ah, that's why I haven't seen you lately then. I'd wondered if you'd forgotten about me." He finished putting the cards away and tucked the pack into his pocket. "It's good to know you haven't." He looked up and they exchanged a smile.

"Looks like you're on a winning streak; that poor man looked absolutely miserable."

"I beat him five times in a row," Ryu said proudly.

"I never knew you played card games before."

"Yeah, I do, but not often. I was just lucky today." As he said this, he raised his hands to gesture, but as he did so something fell out of his sleeve and into his lap. It was some of the cards from his game. Ryu looked sheepish. "Whoops," he said, "however did those get there?"

Nina put her hands on her hips, giving him a mock condescending look. "Ryu, I'm shocked," she said. "I ought to arrest you for corruption, you know."

"Lock me up and throw away the key, Princess!" Ryu cried, throwing his hands forward onto the table for Nina to tie them up. She stood, looking down at him with her most princess-like look upon her face.

"So I shall, knave. Stand up and turn around so I can tie your hands."

Ryu complied and stood, turning around so she could tie him with her invisible rope. But just as she was about to take his hands he darted forward, yelling "But you gotta catch me first!"

"Return this instant, criminal!" Nina shouted. She looked around self-consciously, standing on the spot for a moment, before shaking her head and giving a quick laugh at herself. Then she rushed off after him.

She chased him up and around the battlements, skidding around the corners, yelling and laughing, having to hold a hand to the back of her head, so to stop her cap from falling off. But Ryu was faster than her- there was no way she was going to catch him like this. So when he wasn't looking she turned back the other way and clattered up some stairs to the above battlements. Now she just had to wait until Ryu ran past…

And there he was! She saw that shock of oh-so-familiar blue hair half hidden under his hat and grinned. This is utterly ridiculous, she thought, but she pushed it away, taking a deep breath- and she leapt.

Meanwhile, Ryu was running elatedly; he seemed to have left Nina far behind, he couldn't even see her now. Then, without warning, something seemed to have blotted out the sun. He looked up, still running and half a second later the 'something' fell right on top of him!

"Got you!" cried Nina as she rolled over onto the floor with Ryu, both landing in a tangled heap on the ground. "You're under arrest! You're going to rot away in the dungeons of Wyndia for a very, very long time!" She was out of breath; both from the running and the excitement, and her words came in short bursts.

It took Ryu some time to recover from the shock of being jumped on. "Yow," he said, rubbing his arm. "How did you do _that_?"

Nina pointed to the next layer of battlements, a high stone wall that seemed much too tall to have jumped from.

"Whoah, you sure got guts Missie, that's pretty high up."

Nina crossed her arms indignantly. "I am a Wyndian, you know." Then she stuck out her tongue.

They both laughed at how absurd they were, and went to go sit on the edge of the wall. By this time, Nina's hair had completely fallen out of her cap, and she let it stay like that; shoulder-length, incredibly messy, still retaining some of the bouncing curls she'd had done this morning for her date with Edmund.

Ryu picked up something from the ground and held it to the light- it was one of Nina's feathers. "I do believe you're moulting little bird," he said. Nina batted him playfully around the head.

"Don't make me arrest you again," she warned him.

"I think I better behave then- being arrested once was painful enough." He took off his hat and pulled out the blue feather that was there, replacing it with Nina's. "That looks much better," he said.

"Hey!" exclaimed Nina, "you can't just use parts of me to decorate your hat with!"

"But you look so good on my hat Nina. You're very stylish."

"Oh… well alright then. But don't think you're having my ears or fingernails to decorate your shirt with next."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Princess," he said, taking Nina's slender hand and kissing it. She stifled a laugh.

"Being posh just doesn't suit you Ryu," she said.

"Being posh doesn't suit you either, but you don't hear me complaining about it."

She inclined her head. "You think so?"

"Definitely. Sometimes I forget you're a princess at all. It's nice to see you let your…" he threw the end of her blond mop of curls behind her shoulders, "hair down."

"Well… it's nice for me too. It's not all fun and games being a princess, you know? I know all little girls dream of being princesses, and I know the idea of being one does hold a romantic quality to it. But it's all duties and dinner parties, paid for in pretty dresses and necklaces. There's nothing romantic about it."

"Hey, what about 'Lord Edmund'? There might be some possible romance there, eh? I haven't heard you complain about him yet today, that must be a good sign."

"Uh, no. He's a drag. I mean, he's an nice man, but he's not really possible marriage material. I'm having a much better time here with you today than I ever did with Lord prissy Edmund."

Ryu looked at her quizzically, both curious and amused. Nina realised how what she said must have come out as. Her cheeks turned pink.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that Ryu! You… you do know what I mean, right?" she put a hand to her heart.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," he said, "exactly what you mean." He seemed to have gathered up a most peculiar expression on his face. His eyes seemed brighter than usual, they almost shined.

"And now," he said, "I'm going to kiss the princess."

Nina opened her mouth to speak, but Ryu raised a hand and ran it along her cheek, and she fell silent. He met her eyes, holding her in a mesmerising grip. He leant down and their lips met, brushing ever so slightly. Nina's eyelids fluttered as she let them close, returning the kiss.


	6. Love is Reckless

A/N- Thank you everyone for your reviews, I love you all. :) Sorry this one took a little longer, the next one will come quicker, promise.

_A Princess's Duty_

_VI_

_**Love is Reckless**_

"Is something the matter Princess? You seem sort of jumpy tonight." Nina's maid Lyn knelt down to pick up the butterfly hairpiece her mistress had just dropped.

Nina looked up at her, a dazed look in her eyes. "Huh? Oh, yes, I'm just thinking is all."

She took the hairpiece from Lyn and placed it on the dresser next to the mechanical insect she'd been given by Edmund.

It was evening, and Nina was preparing for bed. She'd managed to get back into the castle alright, pretending she was a page-boy come to deliver a message to Princess Nina. She'd knocked on her own door, mimicked herself calling out from inside, and went in to put on her more normal clothes. Her only worry was whether the guards would notice that the page-boy hadn't returned, but it seemed they hadn't.

At any rate, there were far more important things to think of now…

That kiss from Ryu had come from thin air, she hadn't expected it at all. But at the same time, it was as though she'd known about it all along. It was all very confusing, and she wasn't even sure what she was doing any more. Just thinking about what had happened after Ryu pulled back made her cringe. She'd become so nervous, so jumpy. She been unlike herself, her eyes darting round like a little bird's, her cheeks flushing such a deep colour they bore a striking resemblance to the strawberry tart they'd had for dinner the day before. She'd made some excuse to why she had to go, and hurried away, not looking back.

Even remembering it made her feel shameful. Why had she acted like that? She was fine when he kissed her, in fact, she was more than fine. But afterwards… it had just fallen apart. She'd become confused and afraid, not knowing what to do. She'd hardly seemed like Nina at all. Who was this trembling little girl who'd replaced her?

She slipped on her nightdress, a white cotton thing reaching her ankles that had short sleeves that came half way down her upper arm. Waving Lyn away, she thought back to her first kiss. Ryu hadn't had her first, but it had been a long time since then. She laid down on her bed, pulling the covers over her. When she was a little girl, shortly before she met Ryu for the first time she knew a boy called Jim. He was one of the ruffian children who ran around Wyndia yelling and screaming, pulling pranks on all the adults.

Every once in a while, when she found an opening, she'd sneak out of the castle to play with him and his friends, running about and jumping in muddy puddles, making her dress dirty and driving the laundry maids mad, who thought she'd been in the water gardens messing about again. Jim was a charismatic child who liked blowing ink through straws at the guards and dropping buckets of water on them from the battlements. Nina had been entranced.

One day she met him by the fountain alone, and, hiding her nervousness, she had jumped up and kissed him. He'd looked at her with wide eyes, wiped his mouth on his sleeve and said something along the lines of "Eww! You kissed me!" before running away to tell his friends, who were equally as shocked.

Three days after, two men came to the Citizen's Council carrying a cage with a little blue-haired boy in it, and she'd forgotten about Jim completely.

Nina rolled over in her bed, shoving a hand underneath a cool pillow. She wondered what Ryu must be thinking after she left him like that. He must be thinking he'd made a mistake, or perhaps he was offended. After kissing someone back, it was quite insulting leaving them in such a hurry. It gave the wrong impression. Nina found herself feeling bad.

I'll go see him, she thought. We need to speak about this, sort it all out.

But when should she go? She had duties and duties tomorrow and if she wasn't careful Sheila would find another excuse to bar her from going outside again.

Now, she thought. I'll go now.

Her mind made up, she got straight out of bed, pulled on a pair of nearby sandals and walked out onto the balcony, leaning out over it. The battlements were below, too far to jump. A thought came to her and she smiled widely, running back inside and pulling down the spare sheets from on top of the shelf. She shook them out with both hands, letting them tumble out of their tightly packed, neatly folded shapes. She took two and tied them together.

"I've always wanted to do this," she said to herself, knotting the sheets again and pulling the ends tight.

A few sheets later and she was back standing out on the balcony, tying one end of her sheet-rope to the elaborately patterned railing.

Without a second thought she clambered over onto the other side, taking hold of the make-shift rope, and started to climb down.

It was a lot harder than she had expected, and a good deal less romantic than in fairy tales. She had to grip the sheets hard between her knees, and the wind kept blowing her round, so that she kept spinning. When she was half way down, a sweat on her brow, she realised that she hadn't brought a coat, or even any normal clothes. She was climbing down to see Ryu in her nightdress!

Grimacing, she decided there was nothing she could do, (she certainly wasn't climbing _that_ again for unnecessary reasons) and she would just have to hope that Ryu would decide it was a normal dress.

She was a rather striking figure in the night, a woman hanging in mid air, her white dress billowing around her feet in the wind. If anyone would have looked up they would have most likely just rubbed their eyes and walked on, vowing that they really _were _going to give up on the liquor this time.

Nina reached the end of the knotted sheets with a little gap left till she reached the ground. It didn't seem so high now, so, bracing herself, she let go, rolling onto the ground with a **THUMP**!

Winded, she raised herself up on her hands and knees, dusting off the dirt she'd collected from the ground. No one seemed to have seen her. Letting out a small "Phew!" she walked on down the battlements into the town proper. On her way there she passed a group of young women standing outside the open door of a house giggling.

"You'll never believe what I saw earlier today!" one exclaimed.

"What's that?" asked another.

"I saw…" she lowered her voice, "two guys kissing! There, over by the castle! They were both so handsome too, I almost died!" The women burst into a fit of giggles and Nina carried on her way, her eyebrows raised.

There were still lights on in the inn, and Nina stood outside the front door feeling much more nervous than she had leaping from the sheet-rope. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

A round woman, also in her nightgown opened it. Her half-closed eyelids and general sleepy expression vanished in an instant. "Pr-Princess!" she stuttered.

Nina thought something along the lines of 'Oh crap'.

"Goodness Princess, what- what do I owe this honour?" The woman looked positively stunned, though a peculiar look crossed her eyes as she noticed what Nina was wearing.

"Uh- good evening," said Nina, inventing quickly. "I am on urgent business from the castle. It has come to light that heinous criminal is staying in Wyndia, and we have reason to believe that he is lodging here."

The Innkeeper's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "A- a criminal!" she whispered hoarsely, "here? Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Whatever has he done to have you, our own princess, come to get him in the dead of the night?! It must be terribly, terribly bad! Are you quite sure you're safe Princess? Shouldn't you have some of the guards with you?" She had become terribly flustered by this point, her cheeks pale with fright and hands clutched to her chest.

"He's a murderer," said Nina, and she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. The Innkeeper looked positively faint.

"Oh my! Surely- surely not here, not in my inn?" she cried. Nina patted the woman comfortingly on the back, feeling very guilty.

"No need to fear, we'll have him removed and thrown in the dungeons in just a moment. I have some backup stationed just round the corner if I need back-up. Now… listen closely. Is there a young man staying here, about twenty years old, with blue hair?"

A great change in expression came upon the Innkeeper's face and she looked relieved, albeit a little sheepish. "Oh, he's gone," she said, and a weight fell on Nina's chest like a stone. He couldn't have left because of how she reacted earlier, could he? But the Innkeeper continued, "He was causing a lot of trouble here today and I threw him out. If I'd known he was a murderer… oh my goodness, I can barely believe it!"

"What did you throw him out for?" asked Nina, not annoyed, just relieved that he hadn't left on his own accord.

"He'd been causing trouble all week, but I caught him turning an antique wardrobe into a scabbard today and trying to hid the evidence, and that was the final straw…" She seemed to have calmed down now, since she knew that this 'murderer' was no longer in the building. "I knew he was a rotten one as soon as I met him! Cheating at card games! Swimming naked in the fountain a few nights ago! Making those awful noises in the dark! Yes, I should have known exactly what he was long ago! I'm sorry we let him go Princess, but I expect you'll catch him soon. I hope you will."

"Do you know which way he went?" asked Nina.

"I saw him walking towards the gates; I guess he's left Wyndia by now."

"Left Wyndia!" she gasped before she could stop herself. "When was this?"

"A few hours ago, but I wouldn't-"

"Thank you!" Nina span around and made for the gate, sprinting down the stairs, jumping three at a time.

This is my entire fault, she thought. He got kicked out of the inn and left because he thinks I don't want him here! I have to catch up with him!

She ran towards the gate as fast as she could, hoping that if she went fast enough she wouldn't be recognised. She zoomed through the gate, rushing out onto the road outside, where, once she was out of sight of the gate, she slowly ground to a halt. It was completely quiet out, completely silent. The moon was full and bright, illuminating the path and casting shadows from the long grass and shrubs that danced in the soft breeze. There was no cloud cover and the stars twinkled from every direction. The loudest noise was Nina's heart beating furiously in her ribcage. She looked about her for any sign or Ryu, but the road was empty.

A feeling of panic growing in her, she began to run. Her sandals clattered over the stone path, echoing out into the night, and she tossed her hair back out of her eyes, running and running.

She didn't know how long she went for, nor what time it was then. She just kept on going, hoping beyond hope that Ryu hadn't gotten far.

Suddenly, abruptly, irreversibly, there were tears welling in her eyes, the first tears she'd seen in years. And they were over Ryu. They gathered in the corners of her eyes, before swimming over her eyelashes and running down her face into the wind. What did they mean?

It was in this moment, running down the starlit road, with her cheeks wet and her soft feet sore and cut from her sandal straps that Nina realised just how much Ryu meant to her, how irreplaceable he was. How he had always occupied a place in her heart- a part that was now being torn to pieces.

Somehow, she had fallen in love with him.

She stopped; one of her feet poised half in the air, the ball of it still touching the ground. Very slowly, she lowered it.

Yes, she realised, she was in love with Ryu. She didn't know how it had happened- it almost seemed to have come out of nowhere, like a snake inching its way forward through the grass, it's prey unknowing to the very instant that it hangs off your arm, fangs in your vein. But the devious snake had been hiding in that grass for a long time. Nina had missed Ryu terribly, for weeks, after he left to set out on his explorations. She'd wanted more than anything to go with him, but her duties, as always, got in the way. There was no doubt what it all meant now…

Even in the stupor she'd fallen into, Nina picked up the slight scent of smoke that hung in the changing breeze. Feeling her sore feet more than ever, she looked to where it was coming from. A small way into the long grass there was a clearing, and inside that someone had pitched a tent. Beside that was a warm fire, and beside _that _was the fire-starter. It, of course, was Ryu.

Giving a weak smile at the irony of it all, Nina trudged through the grass towards him. He was sitting by the flames contemplatively, knees up, elbows resting on them. When he heard the crunching noise of someone approaching he raised his head, instinctively moving his hand to the sword which lay beside him.

Nina, in her dirty dress, with her scuffed cut feet, her messy hair and tear marked face approached the fire. She stopped and smiled a little, her head tilted ever so slightly to one side. "Hey," she said dimly.

"Hey," replied Ryu, looking very surprised. He put his legs down and turned to face her. "Are… you alright Nina? You don't look so great." His eyes lingered on her wet face, almost in disbelief.

"I thought you had gone," whispered Nina, looking down at the earth. "I thought I made you leave."

A silence stretched between them.

"Come sit by the fire," Ryu said at last, caring in every syllable. "You look cold."

Nina came forward gratefully and sat down beside him, rubbing her hands together and feeling the warmth from the flames on her skin already.

"So… what happened?" Ryu asked. "How did you know I was here?"

"The Innkeeper told me," said Nina, then she paused. "Why did you kiss me earlier?"

Ryu shrugged noncommitantly, scratching the back of his head. "It just seemed like the right thing to do, I guess," he said, and he grinned, looking like a person who'd just said 'check mate' in a game of chess. "Why did _you_ run off?"

"It… well, it just seemed like the right thing to do!" The corner of her mouth twitched. She brushed some straggly strands of hair back behind her ears. "But I think perhaps, now, that maybe it wasn't."

Ryu leaned closer to her. "Oh, really? Do tell me more," he gave her a cheeky knowing look.

She hit him harmlessly about the head with her open hand. "Be serious Ryu. You're ridiculous sometimes."

He leaned back, a smile still playing on his lips. "Yeah, perhaps. But you're still about to tell me that you liked that kiss."

She opened her mouth to make a retort, but stopped, and blew out a bit of air from between her lips, threads of loose hair fluttering forward. "Touché," she said.

Slowly, casually, he moved forward, bringing his face closer to Nina's. Their noses were almost touching. "Would you like another one then?" he said, in a serious whisper, though it still retained an almost teasing quality about it.

Nina moved her head to the side, eyes flashing. "What about you, little boy?" she said. "Do you want a kiss?"

"I'd love one." His fingers strayed up to her hair, where he ran them gently through it, sending tingles all the way down her spine.

This time, she kissed him.

It was slow but intense, full of far more feeling than before. Ryu clasped a hand around Nina's waist and carefully drew her up close to him, so that their fire-warmed bodies were touching, while Nina threw her arms around his neck, putting everything she felt into the kiss. There were no secrets between them now. After some time, they drew back, Nina fixing him with a long loving look, before throwing herself into his arms and lying there, content, as Ryu stroked her soft but messy hair.

A feeling of great peace came upon her; there were no duties to worry about, no mother to avoid, no suitors in sight. She need not say anything to Ryu right now, the time for speaking would come later. For now, she was happy simply to exist with him. He threw a long blue blanket over them and they exchanged one last look of contentment, before falling together into a dreamless sleep, the fire dying away into ash.


	7. Letters

A/N- Ah, it's been far too long since the last update. Sorry guys. I've stuck a recap in so everyone remembers what happened last. (I know what it's like when someone leaves an update for ages. I always have to click back to the previous chapters to remember what happened. Hopefully this will save all that if anyone's forgotten.)

I've decided to stick the extra 's' on the end of princess' again in the title. I know both ways are grammatically correct, but it just didn't sound right to me.

**Recap**- Caught in waves of confusion, Nina stumbles out into the night to find Ryu and sort out her conflicting feelings. She finds him outside of the city, and realises her true feelings for him. They kiss, and fall asleep together by the fire.

_A Princess's Duty_

_VII_

_**Letters**_

However, recklessness, even for a good cause, is undoubtedly foolish. When Sheila was roused from her sleep early, wakened by panicked voices outside, she was irritated. When she found out the reason behind the noise was because Princess Nina was missing, she was angry. When reports came flooding in about the Princess raving to the Innkeeper about a murderer and running out the town gates, both in her nightdress, she was beyond angry. And by the time a group of travellers, along with several of the guards, showed her to the place where the Princess lay sleeping, her hair and clothes dishevelled, next to a young man, she was completely and utterly furious.

All the while Nina lay exhausted in the deepest sleep you can imagine, her head resting on Ryu's chest where he sprawled on the grass, his mouth lounging half open. The fire had long since burnt itself out hours ago, and now it laid dead as a mass of charred wood and ash, cold as stone.

The guards exchanged hesitant but meaningful looks with each other, shooing the travellers away lest they get caught up in the firestorm that was now sure to ensue. The travellers resisted, expecting a reward, but the combined efforts of the guards' efforts and Sheila's face inevitably drove them off.

Sheila shifted through a range of expressions, never settling completely on one. First there was anger, her eyebrows drawn down, lips pursed, eyes directed in a terrible glare towards the couple on the ground. Then if shifted to one of hurt and one of disappointment. A hint of confusion. Finally it settled again on anger.

She knelt down before the couple, gathering up her skirts and petticoats to bring them out of the dirt. She took her daughter by the shoulders and pulled her forward off the ground. Nina's eyelids fluttered as she felt hands pull her into a sitting position, her mind taking in nothing of her surroundings, nor who was sat in front of her.

The sound of a slap rang out over the countryside like a gunshot. Even nearby birds spread their tiny wings and flew up into the sky in fright.

Disorientated, Nina felt as though a bucket of icey water had been tipped over her head. One of her cheeks stung, though she couldn't yet seem to identify which one it was. Her eyes slowly took in who was in front of her and her eyebrows shot up to meet her hairline.

"Mother!" she gasped, feeling like a person rising out of the ocean, coughing, spluttering and gasping for breath. Sheila took hold of her daughter's shoulders again, her nails digging into her skin.

"How could you do this to me?" she asked, her voice calm, but holding an deadly edge to it. She was the very crest of a towering wave, on the verge of spilling forward and crashing onto the breakers. "You could have ruined everything, you little slut!" she hissed, and her expression changed again, this time to one of panic. Her head darted around, her eyes almost popping out of her head. "Where are those people? You didn't let them go, did you…? Oh for Ladon's sake, catch up with them! For everyone's sake! Bribe them, beat them, do whatever it takes. But have them swear to silence!"

She turned back to Nina, her eyes blazing. She pulled her closer. "You will say nothing of this to anyone, you understand? I don't know what you were thinking, but if Edmund hears of this you'll be in disgrace. _We'll_ be in disgrace. He won't want anything to do with you!"

Nina, who had been trying time after time to get a word in was now able to. "Mother, I know what you must be thinking, but honestly, _honestly_, it's not what it looks like!"

Sheila darkened, in every sense of the word. "Oh no, don't you dare lie to me little girl. I know exactly what you were doing. I knew you were angry about the marriage idea, and I knew you were sure to try and convince me against it. But I never thought that you would go this far. Just to make me angry you grabbed hold of the first man you saw, this _chicken farmer_, and then you- you do this! You're disgraced yourself, and the entire Royal Wyndian family too."

"Really, I didn't… honestly," murmured Nina weakly.

"And how am I supposed to believe you, pray tell? …Actually, go on then. Tell me _exactly_ why you decided to sneak out of the castle in the dead of the night, and why I now find you with him?" She pointed viciously at Ryu, whose eyelids twitched.

Nina hesitated, unsure how to answer. The truth would never do here, it would only make Sheila angrier- and no doubt secure a cell for Ryu in the dungeons. But no lie came to her stunned blank mind and helplessly, she shook her head.

"I thought as much," said Sheila. "As for you-" she looked at Ryu, whose eyes now flicked open, "you're an incredibly lucky man. I have half a mind to throw you in prison and toss away the key. But you're a man, and I understand how weak you whelps are when it comes to women. You're to leave Wyndia, and never return again. But make no mistake; if I ever catch hide or hair of you you'll never see daylight again."

Ryu sat up and nodded, looking curiously over at Nina.

"And don't speak a word about this either, if you want to keep your head. Come on Nina."

As Nina got to her feet, she allowed her fingers to brush Ryu's, pulling on a pained face and mouthing "sorry". She didn't resist as Sheila grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the horses that would take her back to the castle. There was nothing she could do, really. This was her own fault and she knew it. She'd been too reckless, and she hadn't thought.

x

Familiar situations beget familiar situations, and before long Nina found herself back in her room, the door closed roughly behind her. It didn't take her long to realise that something was different; the great mass of sheets and spare bedcovers that once sat on the top shelf were absent. Nina couldn't help but feel amused in spite of herself.

Not that it mattered much, Nina didn't have any intentions of escaping anyway. What would be the point? Ryu was, for lack of words, banished, and any time spent with him would only land them both in serious trouble (and possibly a loud cry of "Off with his head!").

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her head in her fingertips. What was she supposed to do? Her brain felt as though it had been turned upside down, she could hardly think straight. Lately her emotions had been all over the place- first she'd been excited to see Ryu, then she was upset when she thought he'd left, and then she was happy, wildly happy. But then her mother had come… and now everything was ruined.

Why couldn't she have thought before she threw herself in with the tigers?

She took a deep breath, and attempted to clear her racing mind. 'I'll wait until the guards stop watching me so closely, and then I'll send a note to him. Until then… I'll just act as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened.'

This decided, Nina let out a long breath filled with all sorts of emotions besides exasperation, and fell back into bed. It was a decent plan, but it meant that she wouldn't see Ryu for sometime. And while Nina prided herself on being un-sentimental, she couldn't help but feel unbearably sad at this thought, as though her heart had left with Ryu, and was now slowly walking over the hills, and out of sight.

x

But it turned out that Nina wouldn't have to try and contact Ryu (a hard and arduous task, considering she had no idea where he was) for the next day, he sent a letter to her.

A smile on her face, she accepted the letter from the flustered messenger, who proceeded to tell her the amount of hard work it'd taken to escape the Queen, who had insisted on reading it first. Apparently the man who had given him it had told him that on no circumstance must anyone other than Princess Nina read it. She smiled, thanked him, and sat down at her desk to read.

_Nina,_

_I hope the Queen didn't give you too much of a rough time for what happened, and I hope you're alright. I'm not too far from Wyndia, I'm staying somewhere nearby-I better not say where, in case this letter gets intercepted. I'll give your mother some more time to__cool off and I'll sneak back in. I'll find some__ disguise to wear. _

_Write me a note now and give it to the messenger if you want, it'll be easier this way, since he knows where I am. _

_Ryu_

At the bottom of the note Ryu had written 'Love Ryu' scribbled it out so she could barely read it, written it again, crossed it out again, and had decided eventually on just signing his name 'Ryu'. Nina had to chuckle.

She grabbed a piece of paper and a fountain pen, dabbed it on a spare scrap to check it was working, and started her reply.

_To Ryu_

_I'm fine, don't worry about me. Mother yelled for a bit, but I've seen worse, believe me. I'm just glad you're okay! I wish I was able to see you again sooner, but I suppose I'll just have to put up with that._

_The maids have taken away anything I could use to escape with, but the door's not locked, and I'm allowed out into the castle. I'm sure I'll be able to find a way out when you come back, and this time I'll be much more careful with planning! _

_But…please be careful when you return to Wyndia, okay? I don't think Mother's joking when she said she'd throw you in the dungeons, and I think once there is quite enough for anybody. _

_This is an embarrassing thing to admit, but I miss you. Stay safe. I'll see you again soon (hopefully). _

_Love Nina_

_X_

She folded the note and put it into an envelope, passing it to the increasingly impatient messenger who gave a 'Thank Ladon!' expression when he saw her put down her pen. He quickly took the letter and left. She saw him mounting his horse and riding to the west just a few minutes later.

Over the days that followed Nina felt herself become more and more restless, driven mad by the fact she couldn't spend any time with the one man she wanted to spend it with. Instead she was forced into the company of Edmund, who, while being nothing but courteous to her, was becoming increasingly irritating to her fidgety self.

The only thing that kept her from completely losing her mind was her correspondence with Ryu, who used different messengers each time to stop the guards and castle staff becoming suspicious.

The letters started to grow in length, becoming longer and longer each time the messenger knocked on her door. Nina found herself pouring her heart out to Ryu in them, telling him everything that had happened that day, her thoughts, and even reminiscing over their journey half a year ago. One day, after several hours of intensive writing, she looked at her letter in shock, realising she'd written fifthteen whole pages! The messenger had completely disappeared, and she found the poor man sitting in the kitchens eating a lump of cheese and talking to the busy chefs.

She found out that Ryu was still laying low, and had been amusing himself for the past few days by helping the village he was in (he still couldn't tell her which one) by ridding the place of a nasty monster infestation.

As for Nina's mother, Sheila had started to relax a little, but still kept a sharper eye on her daughter than usual. Sometimes when she thought Nina couldn't see, she stared at her with such disappointment in her eyes that Nina couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for going behind her mother's back so much, even if she _was_ being unreasonable.

Nina reckoned that Sheila must have told her father as well, because one day she noticed him looking at her in a similar manner. The twinge was far more painful that time.

However, apart from the King, no one else seemed to know what had happened. Several of the maids and a good deal of the guards had found out that the Princess had snuck out again, but no more details were known. It seemed as though the travellers were kept quiet. Nina was glad about this; she hated rumour and gossip- especially when it wasn't even true.

x

Five days after Nina and Ryu were found together, Edmund asked Nina back to his manor again. But when she arrived, stepping out of the carriage with a confused look on her face, there was no one there to greet her. So she shrugged, and walked up the steps to the huge front door, rapping on it with the brass knocker.

No one answered.

Even more puzzled, she walked round the back of the house to the sliding glass doors and entered, knocking on the side of it and calling out "Hello!"

She didn't expect a reply, and, hearing none, she ventured further in. She moved slowly through the drawing room, listening for any voices or sounds of movement. Running her hand along the embossed wallpaper, she opened another door, not knowing where it led. It turned out to be a living room, with a mural of winged men and women adorning the ceiling

"Hello! Is anyone home?" she called out again, heading through an open door into a long corridor. She was just starting to wonder whether she should go home or not when she spotted a staircase winding high up into the building. She peered up curiously, and set off up them.

At the first landing there was an elegant handsomely carved door which looked as though it could have something interesting behind it.

I'm not being nosy…she told herself, I'm just looking for Edmund.

She leant down and peered in through the keyhole. It was completely dark inside, as though someone had shoved something through it. Cautiously, she opened the door.

A pine furnished bedroom greeted her eyes, complete with poster bed and fur carpet. It was completely immaculate, and Nina knew straight away that it had to be Edmund's. She looked about her curiously- what could this room tell her about her would-be husband?

The room was filled with cabinets and shelves of peculiar things from far off places, each thing catalogued and labelled. There were two desks, side by side, one covered in the apparatus of an artist, tidied to a ridiculous degree, the other with leafs of paper stacked up immaculately, a pot filled nearby with carefully sharpened pencils. She moved over to the second, and peered down at Edmund's large loopy writing. He seemed to be compiling a journal of his travels, most likely for publishing, since the top page sported the title;

_Savages of the South_

_By Edmund Wyndia_

She laughed and looked over to a large map spread out over the table, something he'd drawn himself. Everything was meticulously detailed. A compass, protractor and other such equipment were laid out on it. She started to examine it, but her attention was quickly taken away by something that lay nearby, half hidden by the pencil pot.

It was a ring case.

All feeling ran out of her body, and it was with numb hands that she picked it up, her hands trembling. She snapped it open.

Inside was a silver ring, latticed with gold, a deep blue diamond inlaid and surrounded by platinum flowers.

Nina panicked. It was too soon. Much too soon.

Darting her head around like a deer caught in headlights, she grabbed the ring and stuffed it into the stringed purse that hung around her shoulders. Footsteps began outside. She snapped the case shut and quickly replaced it on the desk, exactly where it was earlier, and dived behind the door.

A maid hurried in, muttering anxiously under her breath, speaking too quickly and quietly for Nina, pressed up against the wall with her heart in her mouth, to hear. The maid opened one of the drawers under the writing desk, took something out, and scurried away again.

Nina came out from her hiding place and exited the room, glad to be away. She could see the shoes of the maid as she ran up the steps and out of vision. A large **BANG **reverberated from several floors up, the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Nina thought she could hear distant shouting. Whatever was going on now?

As she ascended the stairs the voices became clearer. One more flight up she realised the voices were male. When she reached the next landing she decided one of them was Edmund's, on the next that the other's was his brother Frederick.

At the top, the maid from before rushed past her, not paying her the slightest attention. The door opposite stood wide open, showing a picture of an intense battle. Frederick and Edmund stood facing each other, both of their hands balled up into fists. Frederick was redfaced and breathless, his long blond hair messed and skewed. Edmund was sallow skinned, with lips pressed together tightly. Around them lay the skip that was Frederick's room, looking like wreckage after a great skirmish.

"Work! How could anything you do even resemble **work**?" Frederick cried, "You don't care about anything, or anybody else. You weren't even there when Mother died and you _knew_ she was sick!"

Nina, tucked out of the way behind the wall, winced. This was bad. When Edmund next replied, his voice was low and dangerous, threatening even.

"How can you say that to me?" His jaw was clenched hard, his cheeks drawn. "After all I've done for you, and you repay me like this. I won't be spoken to in such a manner, and especially not by-"

"After all you've done for _me_!"

"Shut up! After all I've done for you, and all you do is treat me with insolence. All the-"

"Oh yeah, because taking treasures from 'savages' and courting a princess is _so_ much work!"

Disheartened, Nina made her way back down the stairs. She had heard enough. The argument reminded her hollowly of her own fights with her mother, they were always stupid arguments about stupid things.

She stepped back into the carriage, and told the driver to set off. She could visit Edmund another time, when he wasn't so busy being stupid, just like she always was.

She heard the crack of the whip and the carriage bumbled forward. Nina rested her head against the juddering window, her mind crying out for the careless and flippant attitude of Ryu.


	8. For King and Country

**Recap- **Having been found out by Sheila, Nina lounges about the castle dreaming wistfully of Ryu. They correspond via letters, and Nina falls deeper and deeper in love. But on a visit to Edmund's mansion, Nina finds a ring! She pockets it, and stumbles into an argument between Edmund and his brother. Sickened by all the fighting, Nina leaves, thinking only of the man she loves. But something is niggling in her mind, and it's her duty. Indecision is a terrible thing, and the curtains are about to rise on its next act.

_A Princess's Duty_

_VIII_

_**For King and Country**_

Yawning sadly, and feeling despondent, Nina set off downstairs from her room to get some snacks from the kitchen. Dinner had only been a few hours ago, but that didn't stop her feeling resolutely peckish. She crept past her mother and father's room, catching a snatch of conversation on the way.

"-is the thing, it was decided years ago. Everard signed and everything."

"Well then you can't-"

Nina wondered what there would be to eat, maybe some of that leftover rhubarb and custard from dinner. Yum. She walked down past the courtyard, startling one of the guards awake. He tossed his hand to his helmet in a clumsy salute, resulting in a loud _BONK_!

"G-good evening Princess!" he said.

"Evening Joe," said Nina, the corners of her mouth upturned in quiet amusement.

She plodded down the stairs to the kitchen, it was now completely empty apart from a young maid with a mop busily cleaning and humming to herself, along with one of the chefs sat by the stove pouring over a cookbook. The manillo looked up when he saw Nina and grinned.

"Princess Nina, what can I do for you?"

"You don't have any rhubarb and custard left, by any chance?" Nina asked, pulling on a weak but cheeky smile.

The manillo got up and crossed over to a large sideboard, picking up a bowl as he went. "We sure do, Princess. It's good to know you liked it so much." He tipped some of the custard into the bowl with a ladle, with the rhubarb on top.

"There you go," he said, passing it to her. "It's still warm, so be careful."

"Thanks Marie," she picked up a spoon and meandered back upstairs, picking at the custard skin absentmindedly with a finger.

She put one foot on the step past her mother and father's room, but stopped suddenly, hearing her own name spoken. She looked around her and moved up closer to the door, feeling somewhat guilty.

"I don't know what she was trying to pull with that young man," she heard her mother say. "I think she does things like this just to hurt me. I really do."

"Nina's always been a bit of a rebel, and you remember what I said to you before? About her using actions instead of words to get her point across?"

Nina sat down, her back against the door, and started to eat her pudding.

"I agree with you though, she did go too far that time," her father added. Nina frowned.

"Do you really think they…?"

A long silence followed, and Nina turned her head to the door, pressing her ear up against it. A large sigh punctuated the quietness.

"It's possible," the King said. She heard the sound of pacing footsteps. "What did he look like, this boy? Did you say he was the same one she went off with at the citizen's council?"

"I'm pretty sure he was- he looked very familiar. I'd definitely seen him somewhere before, though it took me a while to figure out where."

Nina held her breath, and took a great silent sigh of relief. The pacing continued.

"But it has to happen, this marriage," the King said, quite forcefully. "We can give her some time, but…"

"I think it should happen as soon as possible," said Sheila. "Think about what would happen if _that _got out- she'd be shamed for life. Nobody in their right mind would marry her then. The kingdom itself would be a laughing stock. No, its better she marries now before anything gets out. Then it can just be dismissed as a vicious rumour and no one will take it seriously."

"Yes, but I feel bad forcing her into it… I don't know, I think I must have gone soft."

"I think you must have dear."

There was the rustling of sheets.

"I can't seem to get across how very important it is that she marries. She doesn't seem to realise that she won't be respected as a Queen in her own right, and the trouble that will arise if she remains this stubborn."

"Ah, you're talking about Evangeline?"

"Her refusal to marry caused so much trouble for Wyndia that it's just not funny. All those proposals from other kingdoms, men who couldn't understand the word 'no'. The kidnappings of the lords… all for such a foolish reason."

"Mnm," murmured Sheila in reply.

"And Nina's beautiful, there's no doubt about that. She's not as ladylike as I would have hoped, but she's got the sorts of looks that could be easily fought about."

"Yes, I know what you mean. Beauty is a dangerous thing."

"I don't want Wyndia to go through that again, and you know, Edmund _is_ a decent man. I'm not even sure why Nina's so opposed to him. Maybe he's a bit self indulgent, but really you'd be hard pressed to find a nobleman that wasn't. And considering he's a prince by blood…"

"You know what Nina's like though, she's never happy. Always thinking of herself and never her people."

"The way you speak Sheila, people would think you didn't like her," the King said, amused.

"Of course I like her," an indignant voice replied. "It's just that she worries me so much it's infuriating. It doesn't mean I don't love her. God knows I do, I love her so much that it's a miracle my heart hasn't burst."

Nina listened, but the conversation seemed to be over. All she could hear now was a quiet rustling, and, after a few minutes, a loud yawn. She shifted onto her knees and stood up, the pudding spoon hanging from her unaware mouth. Feeling dazed, she picked up her custard and headed into her room, shutting the door behind her.

Sitting by her desk, something in her mind finally clicked, and she groaned, lolling her head onto the table. Hesitantly, she reached for her pen, taking hold of it and turning it over in her hand. She grabbed a piece of paper, and the pen hovered above it. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

They were right. She really did think only for herself.

x

Ryu, sitting on the roof of a small village inn, took a deep draught from the pint mug in his hand, and laid back against the tiles. He rotated the mug in his hands, watching the alcohol slosh about against the glass. He gazed solemnly out at the stars, frowning at them. A _clip clop_ of a horse below echoed on the road, and he looked down as a man jumped out of the saddle and strode into the inn.

"A letter for Mr Ryu!" he heard a voice call.

Ryu drained his mug and leapt down onto the ground, entering the inn and slamming the glass down onto the table.

"Over here," he said, taking the letter and passing the messenger a few zenny.

He strolled down the corridor into his room and sat down, about to break the wax seal when he noticed something different about it. Instead of the plain seal she usually sent, Nina had used what must have been her royal stamp. Embedded in the wax was the image of the sword with two open wings sprouting from it, winding around as if for protection. Curving around it in a circle was Nina's name with her titles. He ran his finger over the image, and broke the seal with a nail, frowning. He unfolded the letter, noting how short it was, and read it aloud to himself.

"Ryu, I'm sorry. I really am. But this can't go on. I've decided, I'm going to marry-" Ryu stopped, and looked at the paper in shock, as though he'd read it wrong. "I'm going to marry," he repeated, in a whisper. "I've shirked my responsibilities for too long, and I've finally come to understand what my parents meant. It wasn't ever about the wings, but ensuring my place as a good queen. It's been fun Ryu, and I really do care about you, but my place is with Lord Edmund. I have to put my duties above my personal wants. My sincerest apologies. Nina."

Ryu stared at the letter, his hands weak. Then he spoke, his voice rising to reach a fiery crescendo. "Lord- FUCKING- **EDMUND**!"

He screwed up the letter, mashing it together into a pulp, and hurled it furiously at the wall. "Goddammit!" he yelled, standing up and taking hold of the lampshade, smashing it into the table. Shards of glass flew across the room.

His breath ragged, he suddenly darted forward onto the floor. He snatched up the crumpled letter and unfolded it, scrabbling at the corners.

Looking at it again, this time he noticed, around the formal and stony words, several round tear marks.

He thumped the floor with his fist, and exhaled a long breath of exasperation. "Nina-" he said, "Nina, you… idiot."

Standing up, he walked out the door, pushing past the Innkeeper on his intent way. He grabbed the reigns of his horse and put the foot in the stirrup, swinging himself onto the beast. He set off at a gallop towards Wyndia.

x

The sun that dawned the next day would prove to be the hottest and brightest of the whole year, just to add a contrast to Nina's mood. Lyn had made sure to give the Princess the widest brimmed hat she had.

She'd gotten up early, before breakfast. Or rather, she hadn't gotten up at all, since she hadn't slept a wink last night. She'd been thinking… about lots of things.

Nina stepped out into the water gardens, her face stony. She crossed the bridge to the lily pond and touched the bench. Just a few weeks ago, this had been where she'd met Edmund for their first date.

The man she was going to marry.

Last night she had said goodbye to the man she loved, washing him away to the corners of her mind with her tears. They had only gotten started, really. Nina hadn't even had a chance to tell him her real feelings.

But it was just as well, as it turned out. It would have been even harder to let him go if she had told him.

She was dedicated now. She had her duties. For king and country. When it came down to it, what was one man compared to the **whole** of Wyndia?

She could give him up, others could, so why not she? Was she so weak that she couldn't do something that dozens before her had?

No, she was resolved. Edmund wasn't perfect, but then neither was she. If her father could live with (and even love) her mother, then she should easily be able to do the same with Edmund. She would go to his house later today and put the ring back where she found it.

Nina wanted to be the best queen she could, and put as many things right in the world as possible. If Edmund was the price she had to pay for that, then she would gladly pay it.

There were sacrifices for everything.

And Edmund wasn't _that_ bad.

She nodded in agreement to herself, and went inside, where the maids were setting the long table for breakfast.

"Good morning Princess, do you need anything?" someone asked.

"No, no, I'm fine…" Nina muttered, lost in thought.

This had also been the place where she'd punched Edmund. Through her sadness, she still managed a rueful smile. He'd been oddly gracious about the whole thing. Most people wouldn't have been chuffed at a punch in the face, but Edmund had just dismissed it.

Now she thought about it, their relationship really was similar to her parents'. Her mother was always knocking her father around when she got in a stress, but he always forgave her in the end.

She wandered into the throne room, barely registering where she was going. She sat down in her chair, the same chair she'd been on when she first met Ryu. She'd been bored, she remembered, and had been hoping she could go out and play soon. Then those criminals had bumbled in and announced they had a dragon.

A dragon! she had thought, it certainly wasn't something you saw everyday. But there hadn't been any dragons, just a scared little blue-haired boy, looking dazed and confused.

Nina rose out of her chair and walked over to the middle of the room. "It was here…" she said. "Here..."

_The little boy stood in darkness, frightened, his hands clasped around the bars of the cage he was trapped in. From outside he heard a clear voice say, "Your Highness, I give you… the dragon!"_

_The cloth on the cage was whisked off, and Ryu looked around him, his eyes darting nervously at his surroundings. Balio leant his hand against the cage, took out his cigarette, and exhaled a dirty breath of ash-filled air. _

_Nina, lazed back in her chair slouching, pulled herself forward with her hands on the armrests, leaning over to get a good look._

_Their eyes met. Nina shot him a look of confusion, crinkling her eyes and inclining her head. _

"_He's gone back to being a kid!" Balio and Sunder finally noticed the boy in the cage, and began shaking it, frightening the life out of the timid child inside. _

_Nina wanted to shout out "Stop it!"_

_As her father ordered them all to the dungeons, Nina gave Ryu one last look. _

_It said, "I'll save you."_

What would she have done if she knew that ten years later, the same boy, now a man, now no longer timid and shy, would stand in the same spot and call away her heart, and it would leave willingly with him?

"_And now, I'm going to kiss the Princess."_

Nina rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, and looked up to where the King's throne stood. Her future throne. It beckoned to her, and slowly, she stepped out of Ryu's arms, touching his shoulder gently, and strode towards it.


	9. The Duel on the Lawn

**Recap- **Feeling depressed, Nina wanders down in the evening to the kitchens, where she passes her parents' room and overhears a conversation that completely flips her ideals upside down. She begins to see why she must marry, and decides that night that she will marry Edmund to ensure her future as a good queen. She writes to Ryu, explaining this. The next morning, she remembers how she met Ryu as a child, and then casts him from her mind, thinking only of what she must do for her kingdom.

Ryu meanwhile, receives the letter, and is driven to fury by it. He jumps on his horse and rides towards Wyndia, determined to make Nina see sense in however, and whatever way he can.

_A Princess's Duty_

_IX_

_**The Duel on the Lawn**_

After a peculiar breakfast of courtly and kindly words to her parents (which they looked at with puzzlement, not used to such desserts, before nibbling at them uncertainly) Nina announced her desire to visit Edmund.

"You _want_ to visit Edmund?" asked the King, smiling with his eyebrows in his hair.

"Yes, we had a conversation the other day that we didn't quite finish," said Nina, politely.

"Oh, well… of course. I'll send a page along to announce your coming." He turned his head to look at a boy standing alert by the doorway. "Run to the stables lad, and ask for a carriage to be harnessed." He looked back at Nina, still surprised.

"I'll go get ready then," she said, going to her room to find something finer to wear. She had to show willing, so instead of the covering dresses she usually wore, today she fitted on a low blue dress showing a small bit of cleavage, not quite reaching the knee. She curled her hair, only keeping her hat so her head wouldn't fry in the heat.

One of the pages came up to tell her the carriage was ready, and she was on her way, slipping the ring into her little blue bag.

When she arrived, Frederick was sitting outside the manor waiting for her and looking somewhat subdued.

"Hello Fred, what's the matter?" she asked.

"I'm afraid you haven't come at a very good time Nina," he replied, looking both annoyed and upset. "My doofus of a brother has gone and lost our mother's wedding ring. He and the staff are searching for it now. I can't believe he'd lose something as important as that- he makes me so mad…!"

"Your… mother's?" Nina asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Yeah, the ring case was still on his desk, but the ring's gone. I just hope one of the staff hasn't stolen it, in which case it's his fault anyway for leaving it out like that. It _should_ have been locked away." He gazed upwards, glaring at a passing bird.

"I'll- I'll help you find it," Nina said quickly. "It's probably just fallen behind something. That happens to my things a lot.

"Oh… right, cheers," Frederick said in surprise, getting up and opening the front door to the entrance hall.

Nina was just about to head straight up to Edmund's room, but caught her mistake just in time. "Uh… where's Edmund's room? That a good place to look first, I think."

"First floor, the door to the left. It's been checked several times though."

Nina went up the stairs into the room, where Edmund himself was with the butler, moving one of the desks so they could look underneath. They'd been busy; the room was a mess now with furniture in the middle and paper piled up in stacks all over.

"Um… hi," said Nina shyly, embarrassed she'd gotten everything so wrong again. Edmund jumped, dropping the desk on his foot with a curse.

"Sorry," she said, wincing.

"Princess…" Edmund said, looking pained- both physically and mentally, "it's not that I'm displeased to see you, but I'm afraid we have a bit of an emergency here. I'm afraid I won't be able to spend much time with you…"

"It's fine, I know," Nina said, nodding, "Frederick told me. I want to help."

"You do?" he said, looking puzzled, perhaps because he thought a princess wouldn't be amiable to this kind of task. "Thank you then… if you could check the downstairs study perhaps? The maids have just started on that one, they could use some help."

So Nina hurried down to the study and asked the women there where Edmund usually sat.

"That chair, there," said one, pointing to an armchair by a glass table. "We haven't done that side of the room yet."

Nina opened her bag inconspicuously and pretended to blow her nose on her handkerchief, meanwhile taking out the ring as discreetly as she could, clutching it in the palm of her closed hand. She pulled the cushions off the chair, tossing them onto the floor, and dipped her hand down the back of the seat, fishing around for the make-believe ring.

She took her hand out, the ring transferred to her fingers. She examined it, and then called out theatrically, "I think I've found it!"

She held it up above her head like a beacon, and the maids swarmed around.

"That's it! She's found it!"

"That's the ring! Master Edmund will be so pleased!"

"It must have slipped down the back of the chair when the master was sitting there the other day."

They hurried Nina forward, rushing her up the stairs in a triumphant crowd, chorusing, "We've found it! We've found it!"

Edmund ran out from his room to the stairwell, grabbing hold of the railing and leaning forward to see the crowd. He smiled widely. The group reached him, and Nina pressed the ring into his open hand.

"It fell down the back of your chair," she said, "I did that with a bracelet once, it went down the-"

To her surprise, Edmund clasped her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Thank you," he said, his eyes shining with sincerity. "You don't know what this means to me and Frederick. Thank you. You're a true gentlewoman Princess."

"Oh, it was… it was nothing really," Nina muttered, her cheeks pink from guilt. In actuality, it really _was_ nothing.

He handed the ring to the butler, adding, "Lock this up in the safe. The big one," before he held out his arm to Nina, and she, with embarrasment, took it.

"How shall we spend out day, my lady?" he asked.

Nina laughed lightly, and shook her head. "Any way you wish."

They went down to the gardens and walked by the lake, shimmering and golden under the midday sun, before playing a game of tailball on the lawn. Frederick joined them, thanking Nina profoundly for finding the ring, and they all had lunch together in the shade of an intricately carved stone gazebo.

"That ring was our mother's wedding ring," Frederick explained, "she never took it off, even after father died. Not until she caught that illness and it was prised from her cold dead hand." He shivered, despite the boiling sun, and stopped.

They languished around in the heat as the manor staff put all the furniture back to how it was supposed to be. A breeze picked up and they went boating on the lake they'd earlier walked round, Frederick jumping off the end of the little boat with a "Geronimo!" splashing the other two in the face. Nina giggled, and Edmund sent him a scathing glare.

The afternoon waned, and Nina enjoyed herself by thrashing Frederick at chequers in the study. She was just about to jump his final piece when there was a commotion from the hall. Several thumps sounded, like objects hitting the floor. Something smashed.

All three turned towards the door, which burst open before their eyes.

The butler ran in, panting, "Sir- sirs! A man has forced his way in, I don't know what he wants, but he's refused to leave!"

Edmund stood up, authoritative. "Where is he?" he said sharply.

"He's almost-"

Ryu strode through the open double doors, putting his hand on the terrified butler's shoulder, silencing him. His eyes moved from Frederick, seated at the table, to Edmund. Nina mouthed Ryu's name quietly, in horror.

He moved towards Edmund, his silent footsteps striking fear like a drumbeat into Nina's heart. He stood a hand span apart from him, and said coldly, in a tone much unlike himself, "Edmund Wyndia, I challenge you to a one-on-one duel. To the death."

"Who in Ladon's name do you think you are?" Edmund exclaimed, eying up the man before him. "You can't just burst into my house, uninvited, and expect me to accept such a challenge. Who are you?"

"I am Ryu, prince of the dragons." His eyes flashed yellow with the power of the brood. "And you have stolen someone important away from me."

It took Edmund a few seconds to understand what Ryu meant. He looked towards Nina, who was cringing helplessly.

"Nina, whatever is this madman blathering about?" Edmund asked her, gesturing.

She stood up. "Ryu, leave. You're making a fool of yourself. I told you, my mind's made up. _Just go_." Her hand shook as it rested on the back of the armchair.

"You're the one making a fool of yourself Nina, by ignoring what you really feel. And if I can't explain this to you, I will just have to prove it- by showing you what a weak cowardly man you are choosing to be your husband!" His head flashed back towards Edmund. "Accept my challenge you faint-hearted bigot! You stock of Wyndia put so much importance on family honour, don't you? Then why don't you prove it to me!"

"And so I shall!" Edmund said angrily, his pride stinging from Ryu's verbal assault. "Franz, get me my sword."

The butler, who'd been standing hesitantly by the door, rushed upstairs.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull with Nina," Edmund said, "but I shall now inform you that I am her suitor, and **I **am courting her. Who are you to her?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself," Ryu said simply.

"Nina, how do you know this man?"

Her soul aching, Nina shook her head. "He is no one. A lunatic. A hopeless dreamer after the love of a princess."

At that moment, the butler came back and hurriedly passed to Edmund a long sword in a blue patterned sheaf. "This way," Edmund said, leading out onto the lawn.

It was then Nina realised that Ryu was serious, that he really did intend to fight him. She'd never seen him this way before. In this mood, Nina thought he actually might make it a battle to the death.

She grabbed hold of Frederick's arm. "Fred, we've got to stop them, Ryu'll turn Edmund into mincemeat!"

"My brother's a good swordsman," Frederick said distractedly, looking nervous.

"He may be, but Ryu wasn't joking when he said he was prince of the dragons- he really is! If we don't stop them, you won't even find the_ pieces_ of Edmund after they're strewn all over the grass."

Frederick bit his lip, fearful now. "But what can we do?" he asked, "Ed won't stop now he's been insulted like that. There's nothing we _can _do."

"Surely there's a way," Nina said with emotion, "there must be something we can use here to stop him. There has to be."

Furiously contemplative, Frederick glowered at a nearby wall. His eyes lit up.

"There is," he said, taking hold of her hand. "It's upstairs... yes, we might just have a chance. This way!"

x

Edmund drew his sword from his sheaf, the sound of metal on metal filling the air. He held it ready at his side. From across him, Ryu did the same, an expression of cool determination sown onto his features. Inside his veins, cold anger flowed, encapsulating, engulfing him.

He eyed his opponent, and thought; I will kill you. His precious thing had been stolen away from him, and ever a dragon, he would see his hoard returned. By fire, if necessary.

"Ready?" he snarled out, his sword held tight in his hand.

"Ready!" Edmund bellowed back.

An inaudible gong chiming, a bell ringing, the whistle blowing, they charged forward. Their swords met, the clash of steel reverbrating down their arms. Edmund grunted, and pushed him back. Ryu leapt backwards as Edmund slashed into the open air, weaving out of harms way. He thrust his hand forward, muttering an incantation under his breath. Fire flared.

Edmund yelled as it ate at his body, singeing his skin. Rapidly, he threw up a shield, blasting the flames outward. The smell of burnt flesh hit his nostrils.

Ryu smiled triumphantly, and jumped forward again, sweeping his blade into the air, light shining off of it. Edmund dived down, rolling to the side and landing on his feet.

He nudged a flint by his feet, and picked it up, hurling it at Ryu. It hit him in the chest, with the sound of something snapping. He doubled over with pain, mumbling a healing spell, joining his ribs together again with an ethereal glue.

"You bastard!" he yelled at Edmund, who was taking the few spare seconds to throw up barriers around himself, his body now emanating a golden glow.

Their eyes met once more, and they began to circle one another, sweat dripping from Ryu's brow. He wiped it away with one hand. The circle grew smaller as they sized each other up, anger now ripping through Ryu's bones at what he considered a to be a girlish assault with the stone.

This half-man doesn't deserve Nina, he thought ferociously. He doesn't deserve to live, either.

Ryu whipped in, ducking as Edmund's sword swung, raising his own so that they met with a mighty clang. They thrust and parried, swung and swept, the air filled with the terrible clashes of war.

As Edmund attempted an elaborate sweep and slash move Ryu undercut him, metal meeting flesh for the first time. Edmund clutched at his side with his spare hand, managing to resist calling out.

Their blades continued to dance the dance, Edmund's shirt now stained with red. The grass crunched under their feet, freshly cut, red light flung upon their scrunched and delirious faces.

Exhausted, Edmund jumped back to recoup himself, taking in hand the nearby pillar of the stone gazebo. He swung himself over and into it, putting a wall between them.

Ryu took in his adversary, thoughts of cowardice filling his mind. He refused to give Edmund the relief he wanted, and leapt over the wall himself, hitting his sword against Edmund's so hard that the man's was flung out of his hand. It flew across the wall and stuck in the nearby grass on the lawn.

Panic in his eyes, Edmund darted after it, but Ryu grabbed hold of his wing- Edmund calling out- and managed to snatch up the sword first. Feathers littered the grass, and the new weapon felt strange in Ryu's hand.

He approached on Edmund, whose feet caught on a watering can, tipping him onto the ground. He scrabbled backwards, grabbing up a metal pole from the flower bed, the sunflower it was supporting flopping down. He jumped to his feet, new hope in his eyes.

Ryu attacked with the double swords, Edmund defending off with the garden pole. Ryu growled, amazed and irritated by Edmund's versatility. Edmund, he decided, was as resilient as a weed.

He tried his magic again, hitting Edmund with a bolt of lightning. But the man noticed the tell-tale spark around Ryu, and threw the metal pole high into the air. The lightning zigzagged towards it instead, and hit it with a crippling crackle.

Unknown to Ryu, Edmund had for the last few minutes been drawing him backwards off the grass and into a long stretch of tulips and posies. There, while Ryu was caught in momentary surprise from the unexpected result of his lightning attack, Edmund ducked down and grabbed a handful of dirt. He threw at Ryu's eyes. Stunned and blinded, Edmund had the opportunity to take back his own sword and hit Ryu with a critical blow across the upper chest.

He staggered back, blood swarming down his front, and it was at this point that Nina and Frederick returned.

In the boy's hands was the original copy of his brother's manuscript, and on his face was a very grim look. Nina, beside him, had conjured up a small fireball in her hands. They walked towards the dueling pair, and Nina called out, "Stop!"

She was shocked to see Ryu on his knees, his face pale and finges bright from the curative incantations he was speaking. Edmund stood above him, his sword pointing directly down.

"You have to stop this, both of you!" cried Nina, "and before anyone gets hurt!"

Edmund looked towards the pair, his face one of supreme irritation.

"But I've almost won," he snapped.

"Then make it a bloodless victory," she said, and gestured to the manuscript. Her voice quivered. "Touch him and your journal goes up in flames."

Frederick nodded, a solemn expression etched around his eyes. "Come on Ed, you're being stupid,"

Edmund looked at them with betrayal, and then towards Ryu, kneeling breathlessly on the grass.

"Very well," he said at last, reluctantly. He lowered his sword.

"There," said Nina with relief, putting out the fire and raising a hand to her fluttering heart, "there really was no need to fight anyway… Ryu? What are you doing? Get up-"

It was then that she noticed something peculiar about Ryu, something different, something out of place. His breathing had become too fast, even for someone exhausted. Added to that, his whole body had begun to glow.

Nina realised what was happening.

"No, Ryu you can't!" she yelled.

His whole body started to stretch and expand, mutating grotesquely. His skin hardened, and wings burst from his back with explosive power. His slitted eyes glowed orange from within their sockets.

A gigantic and towering dragon stood in Ryu's place, stretching its wings in the dying sun and beating its tail on the ground. Minor earthquakes rippled under Nina's feet from the pure power of it.

"No…she murmured, both hands on her heart. "This is… going too far."

The dragon glowered down at Edmund, who stood rock still, petrified. It growled venomously at him, and inhaled deeply. Edmund shakily raised his sword. The dragon's nostrils flared.

Nina ran forward.

"No!" she screamed, her voice cracking, standing before Ryu and throwing her arms wide. "I can't let you do this Ryu, I won't let you! Stop being jealous and LEAVE!"

Her eyes burned, but she held the tears back. The dragon stared at her with its own piercing and unblinking eyes, and Nina stared right back.

"You've- you've changed Ryu," she said, "you're not my Ryu anymore. You're just- a _monster!_ I don't want to see you ever again! Not after this… not ever."

The dragon continued to stare, and then released a dreadful mourning roar, one so terrible it left shivers tingling in the hearts of all present. Nina stood her ground, simply shaking her head, her vision obscured with unshed tears.

"It's over," she whispered.

The unblinking dragon blinked, before slowly turning away, stomping off over the lawn and into the forest. The sound of snapping bark and torn trees echoed, before the place fell silent.

Nina stumbled over to Edmund, and fell into his arms. She sobbed dryly.

"How could he?" she shouted, her face pressing against Edmund's hot chest. "How- _how could he?_"

As the red sun sunk below the horizon, Frederick laid a hand on her shoulder, the last shafts of cheerless light shining upon their tired faces. Darkness, at last, had arrived.


	10. Help at Hand

**Recap- **Furious at Nina's dismissal of him, Ryu rides directly to Edmund's estate, challenging him to a duel. However, due to his lack of thought, Edmund bests him, and Ryu resorts to transforming. Shocked, Nina calls a halt to the duel, appalled at Ryu's behaviour. She knocks him down with her words "You monster!" and Ryu, in his dragon form, turns and leaves.

But both are now coming to terms with their actions, and despair is setting in. With other problems rearing their ugly heads, a grim mood is falling upon Wyndia…

_A Princess's Duty_

_X_

_**Help at Hand**_

The fire crackled in the heath, but Nina's hands, laid flat on her lap, remained resolutely cold. She sat in the sitting room in the castle, mother beside her, father pacing about in front of the fire.

"The people are in hysterics," he said, his tone deadly serious. "A dragon in Wyndia, attacking a member of the royal family… the citizens think the old times are returning, and that the town will be next."

"That won't happen," said Nina, numb, her voice expressionless. Her aura radiated of tiredness, and underneath that, a quiet sense of defeat. "The Brood have never been our enemies. Those stories were propaganda created by Myria. That dragon who fought with Edmund… he won't bother Wyndia anymore."

She was fed up, and wanted more than anything else to lay down in her room alone. She felt in no mood for talking, especially of Ryu. He had upset her today; he had gone too far. But at the same time, she felt that she too, might have said too much. She had always been the one to comfort Ryu on their journey, to tell him that he was not 'a bad dragon'… how must he feel now? She had eroded that all with one sweep of her hand.

They had both done wrong, and Nina knew it. But what could she do? She tried time and time again to put it out of mind, but it kept creeping back, just under the surface… guilt she would deny and deny and deny, but inwardly, she knew was justified. Even if Ryu was no longer her lover, he had always been her most true friend. A friend she was sure she had now lost, first through her indecision in love, and now, this.

"I don't understand," said the Queen. "Just who was that dragon? What did he want with Lord Edmund?"

Nina opened her mouth to say "I don't know," but her father silenced her with his own startling words.

He looked at Nina and said, "It was Ryu, wasn't it?"

Sheila started violently. "Ryu!" she cried, "that kidnapping fiend is back in Wyndia?"

Nina could only stare at her father. "But how…?" she asked.

"I'm not stupid Nina," he said, "I can put two and two together. Didn't you think I would try to find out as much as I could about Ryu after he abducted you? Information was scarce, but I know his heritage."

"But then," Nina argued wearily, "you would surely have found out that he didn't kidnap me, and that I left with him. Father, Ryu was the destined child- he needed my help to defeat Myria. Surely that's reason enough?"

"We've been through this before Nina," sighed the King, taking a seat opposite her and his wife. "Defeating goddesses, destiny... these were all stories implanted in your mind by Ryu. If the Urkan goddess did truly exist, do you really think you would be able to kill her, a divine deity? No Nina, but I don't blame you for these stories. Ryu abused your trusting nature. However, you must forget about this now, you're a grown woman, and this has to stop. As far as I can see, he's bad news, and that attack on my nephew proves it."

_You're wrong, _Nina thought.But somehow, the words would not come. Her boisterous personality, her rebellion, her strong spirit… it had all turned and fled. She felt empty, and said nothing.

"Now…" he said, "we need to decide what to do. The people need to be reassured, and Ryu needs to be dealt with. He has meddled enough with my kingdom, and with my daughter."

As the King explained his plan, and Sheila nodded furiously, Nina tilted her head down, and prayed.

x

Across the deserted streets of Wyndia, empty from fear, and past the heavily manned gates, two figures were making their way down the twilight path.

One was a woren, twin daggers in sheaths on his belt, his back groaning from the bulging backpack he had on. Lumbering under the sheer weight of it, he stumbled some way behind his companion. She strode forward confidently, long red hair flowing loose, a small sack in her hand, evidently a strong believer in 'the men carry the bags'.

"Hurry up Rei!" she called. "I want to reach Wyndia by nightfall."

"Momo-" he called breathlessly, "that's easy for you to say! Why am I the only one carrying the stuff? It's your equipment, not mine."

She span around to face him, hands on his hips. "What happened to Mr 'Oh, I'm so strong, I defeated a goddess singled-handedly' back in Yrall? Surely if you're so strong, you won't mind just carrying a few of a lady's things?"

Rei shrugged helplessly, "Hey, I was with a chick, you can't blame me for a _little_ embellishment."

Momo frowned, and tutted loudly, turning back towards the road. "You're such a womaniser," she said.

They walked in silence, the shadowed towers of Castle Wyndia rising over the horizon. As they approached, Momo noticed the large clustering of guards by the gate, and let out a small "Oh," stopping so suddenly that Rei crashed into the back of her, equipment clattering onto the ground.

"I think we may have encountered some trouble Rei," she said, as he picked them up, grumbling.

"What is it?" he asked moodily.

"I expected the usual riff-raff the Wyndians hire as guards, but it looks as though things have improved since I last visited. There," she pointed to the figures by the gate, and Rei moaned.

"Oh man," he said," if they recognise us, they'll never let us in. I mean, last time one of the guards here remembered I was Ryu's mate, and we had to run for it!"

"I remember," said Momo, looking thoughtful. "Okay," she said, evidently with a plan in mind, "you'll have to stay out here then Rei. You're the one they recognised last time, and a lone male traveller at night looks much more suspicious. I'll just tell them I'm a poor lost woman who has been separated from her friends, and has nowhere to stay. They won't question me." She pulled on a sad pitiful look, but Rei felt doubtful.

Momo started jogging down the hill towards the gate. "But what if you do get recognised?" he yelled.

"I'll be fine!" Momo called back, "Just meet me inside the inn!"

She disappeared out of sight, and Rei threw up his hands in defeat, shooting a final worried look towards her vanishing shadow. He set off to the left, skirting the great wall surrounding the town for any breaks in defence.

And so, it was in this manner that, camped in a small grove of trees beside the wall, smoke rising from his tiny fire, he found Ryu.

"Geez Ryu," Rei said, eyes shining from the light of coincidence, "when you said you were going to Wyndia, I thought you actually meant _inside it. _I didn't realise you were planning on a camping trip out here."

He was sat with his face in his knees, the fire dying before his very eyes. He said nothing, and Rei began to perceive that all was not well. He dumped Momo's equipment, and plonked himself down beside him.

"Buddy, what's wrong?" he asked, but still Ryu remained silent. Rei gazed ahead, the small desperate flames licking at the charred wood thirstily.

"Yer fire's dying man," he said, looking back at him. Feeling a little chilly, he stood to go collect firewood. That done, he dropped them into the flames, which caught onto the wood gratefully. He resumed his place.

"C'mon Ryu, you're breaking my heart! What's wrong? You look as though you've just been told you'll hang at dawn."

"I may as well," mumbled Ryu, finally glancing over at his friend. His eyes were glazed, empty.

"Why's that then?" asked Rei, eyebrows raised.

"Because I'm an idiot," said Ryu bluntly. "I've just made the most- stupid- mistake of my life." He thumped the ground in anger, but even that lacked real passion.

"What did ya do? Can't have been that bad, can it?"

"I attacked a man who wants to marry Nina, and then transformed to try to kill him."

"Uh… overreaction much?" Rei paused, and then playfully nudged Ryu with his elbow. "Hey, I always knew you liked her. Hehe."

Ryu smiled sadly, and then preceded to tell Rei the whole sorry tale, about how he had caught the love of a princess, and how he had lost it so easily again.

"I thought if I showed Nina what a weakling Edmund really was, she'd realise what a mistake she was making. But I wasn't thinking clearly; I was blinded by anger. Because of that, he was able to best me, and… I lost control. I felt humiliated, and had to prove myself.

"But even if I had won, I realise now that nothing would have changed. I got Nina all wrong- she's not the sort of woman to be won over by muscles or show of strength, she loves people simply for who they are…" The flames flickered in Ryu's eyes, emotion returning to them at the thought of her. It quickly vanished. "And now I've betrayed her. I might have had a chance of winning her back before, but now, none. She thinks… she thinks I'm a monster."

Rei, who had come to Wyndia for a good time with his mate, could only shake his head in dismay at the mess he had found instead. "Doesn't this beat all?" he said, quietly.

He spent the night with Ryu, feeling he could not be a proper friend and leave him in this state. In the morning he woke cheerful, confident he would find a way to boost Ryu's spirits. Before he was barely even awake, Rei was dragging him out from under his blanket, telling him only, "We're going to win her back."

When he was able to think clearly, Ryu was able to spot more than one hole in this plan. "Normal people aren't allowed in the castle," he pointed out, "and I've been banished. _And _Nina doesn't want to see me."

"Since when have you started caring about rules? Come on, Nina's going to see you whether she likes it or not."

He quickly found himself standing in Rei's clothes, his old traveller's hat back on his head.

"The guards at the gate still might recognise me, you know," he said blankly.

"Which is why we're not going through the gate, you big girls blouse! That disguise is just so the passers by don't recognise ya. We won't be searched inside."

"But how…?" Ryu began, brow creased.

In reply, Rei tossed a length of rope into his hand. "My emergency supplies," he explained. Ryu could not help but let his mouth twitch, ever so slightly.

They made the end of the rope into a noose, and slung it over an area of the battlements devoid of guards. Ryu and Rei clambered up and over, entering the town proper. Even in his unobservant dull mood, Ryu began to notice that it seemed quieter than usual, and that the people that were around hurried, as if wanting to get inside as quickly as possible. The atmosphere had changed; it had become alert, nervous.

However, at the town square, near the fountain, the people were beginning to gather. A wooden stage had been quickly erected, though it was as of yet empty. Curious, Ryu and Rei joined the milling crowd, which like the rest of the town, had adopted a worried whispering quality. As the two pushed their way in, guards began to walk up steps onto the platform, leading on the King of Wyndia, followed by the Queen, and lastly, Nina. Ryu's heart thumped loudly in his chest. He stared at her, hoping to catch her eye, but alas, she looked directly downwards at her feet, hands folded demurely in front of her dress.

The crowd fell silent in the King's presence, the last of the whispering dying away. He began his speech.

"My people!" he called, throwing his hands wide. "Today you cringe in fear, hide away in your houses, and dream when attack will come, but I have come to you this morning in person to tell you, there is no threat.

"I will not lie to you- the rumour that a dragon, in the mighty kingdom of Wyndia, attacked the Prince Edmund **is** true-" a loud murmuring broke out over the crowd, and Ryu and Rei exchanged looks of panic, "-but, BUT, this dragon poses **no** thread to Wyndia. It is not truly an 'it', but a 'he', for this dragon is one of the Brood, a race of people with the ability to transform into dragons. This man's name is 'Ryu', and he has no intention of destroying Wyndia.

"However, attack on a member of the royal family is treason, and because of this, a reward will be given to anyone who can bring him in, or provide information leading to his capture."

The King walked off the stage, and at that moment, Nina glanced up. Her eyes, innorexibly, found Ryu's, and both were frozen in place. The crowds vanished around them, and they stood facing each other from islands at either ends of the world, a mighty ocean slicing them in half. Both were locked by the other's intensity.

Ryu took a step forward, but a guard bumped against Nina on his way off the stage, startling her, and their eyes broke. The performance was over.

_Forgive me,_ thought Nina, as she made her way down the wooden steps. _There's nothing I can do. You went too far, but then… so did I. _

Unseen by anyone, silent tears traced their way down her cheeks, falling onto the flagstones below.

Ryu found himself being dragged away.

"Come on!" Rei hissed, pulling at his arm. "Look!"

Ryu followed the path of Rei's finger, and was astounded when he realised to what he was pointing. On the wall of the item shop a guard was hammering… a drawing of his face. Underneath were the words;

'_Ryu'_

_Wanted; dead or alive_

_50,000 zenny reward_

Ryu swore under his breath. "We need to get out of here."

Rei shook his head, "I think I know a guy who'll help us; he'll let us crash at his place for a while. Follow me."

x

High in Upper Wyndia, Momo was taking atmospheric pressure readings, and had managed to miss most of the commotion. Though of course, it was nigh impossible to miss the dragon rumours that were winging their way around town. She wondered if there were any truth to them, but she also wondered where Rei had gone, and why he hadn't found a way inside yet. Oh, how she would deflate Master Thief's ego's when he returned. She laughed aloud at the very prospect of it.

She twiddled with the knobs and dials of her bulky barometer, and spotted out of the corner of her eye Nina, alone, head down, making her way up to the castle.

"Nina!" Momo called, smiling. Nina started out of her reverie and spun around to look at Momo with wide eyes. Strangely, it reminded Momo of a frightened deer. She ran up to Nina and embraced her, an act that was received awkwardly at first, before she hugged back and clung onto her like a lifeline.

Momo heard a small hiccup, and puzzled, drew back.

"Nina, what's wrong? Are you crying?"

Nina quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and gave a hearty sniff. "Momo, I'm- I'm so glad to see you," she said, her voice thick with emotion, "I'm a wreck."

"It's not like you to cry Nina, what ever is the matter?" Even as she spoke, the Princess caught another runaway tear with her hand.

"Oh Momo, it's been awful," she said, struggling to speak clearly. "But I… I really need someone to talk to right now. Could we go somewhere?"

"Of course," said Momo with concern. She took her friend's shoulder gently, and together they headed down towards the inn.

* * *

**A/N**- Ryu and Nina really do seem to have become washed out figures of their former selves, don't they? I'm constantly struck by how vibrant Rei and Momo's personalities are compared to them. The girl that never cries now sports a pair of always wet eyelashes, and Ryu's careless attitude has gone out the window, along with his sense of humour. Hopefully Rei and Momo can cheer them up, eh?


	11. Plan of Action

**Recap- **It doesn't take long for news of Ryu's attack on Edmund- and panic- to spread through Wyndia. To combat this, the king makes Ryu an outlaw, and lays a bounty on his head. Nina feels guilty for what she said to Ryu, but can't bring herself to see him.

Meanwhile, Rei and Momo, travelling together, arrive. Rei meets up with Ryu, who recounts his story, while Momo heads off to the inn. Rei decides he's going to help Ryu get Nina back, and the two go off to find an old friend.

_A Princess's Duty_

_XI_

_**Plan of Action**_

"And now," finished Nina, sitting in Momo's room inside the inn, "I don't know whether what I said was wrong or right. I feel like I need to apologise to Ryu for what I said, but I'm still angry at him... it's a mess, really!"

_So I can see, _thought Momo.

"It sounds to me as though you two should meet and work out your differences," she said, "it's the only way you're going to sort this out."

"That's impossible now," said Nina, shaking her head sadly. "Father's got the whole town on alert for him. I heard him instructing the guards; they're even to search the houses for Ryu! And… even if I could, I don't know. What he did was awful, and… I still haven't wavered in my decision to marry Edmund. If I see Ryu now, I don't know how long my resolve will last…"

Momo put her arm round her friend's shoulders, "You really love him, don't you?"

A prolonged silence followed, before Nina whispered "Yes."

Hastily, she jumped up, quickly drying her damping eyes on her handkerchief. "I'm so sorry Momo!" she said, trying- and failing- to steady her emotional voice, whose octaves dipped and rose with every syllable. "I forgot to ask about you! What brings you to Wyndia? Did you say Rei was here too?"

_I guess she's decided she's talked enough, _thought Momo, chuckling quietly at this diversion. _That's the fastest change in subject I've ever seen. _

"I'm on my way home to pick up some gear," she said. "I was looking at some old machines they dug up in Yrall, and met Rei there. He was coming to Wyndia to see Ryu anyway, so I thought I might as well tag along and get some readings."

"That's a good idea," she said cheerily, stuffing the wet handkerchief into her handbag, "you going to stay for long?"

_I was only planning to stay a day or two, but I can't leave things like this. _

"Not sure yet, I'll see how things go," she said.

Nina threw a skittish glance towards the door, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "I have to go now Momo, Mother starts to get edgy when I'm out for too long, especially when I haven't said where I've gone." She reached towards the door knob.

"Are you going to be alright?" Momo asked, half rising from her seat.

"Yes, yes, I'll be fine," Nina said. She paused, and turned back round to face her. "But… if you do happen to see Ryu, please tell him… please tell him I didn't mean what I said. Bye Momo."

She slipped quietly out the door, and Momo watched as she passed outside of her window, her face one of utter helplessness.

_Poor Nina, _Momo thought, _she truly is trapped, though it's by a cage of her own making. She's trying to stay strong, but if this goes on any longer, it's going to destroy her._

She opened the door into the foyer, and wandered out of the inn, stepping out into the humid, but overcast day.

_I need to find Rei and get this sorted out fast…_

Her face set into a frown, and she threw her arms wordlessly into the air, stamping her foot impatiently.

_But where is he?_

x

"I'm sure you won't mind if we crash here for a few nights, eh?" Rei threw off his backpack onto the wooden floor, the contents giving an ominous _crash!_

"Um…" began Durandal, cringing as Rei sat down on the armchair and kicked off his muddy boots. They ricocheted against the wall, leaving two large brown boot-prints.

"Actually-"

"Great, I knew you wouldn't mind. Hey, this is a awesome setup you've got here. Did you say it's new?" He pulled off his dirty socks, dropping them down onto the floor.

"Jus- just put down the final deposit- last week!" He covered his eyes and fled the room, the mere thought of old _students _striking fear into the very depths of his heart.

"What's eatin' him?" Rei said, looking genuinely puzzled. "He--ey Ryu, he reminds me of a _certain_ dragon at the moment."

Ryu grimaced, settling down onto the floor. "I hope not," he said. Apparently, using monotone was all the rage in Wyndia during that era.

Rei lounged back in his chair. "Awright Ryu, we need to come up with an action plan. Since you're now a wanted man, getting close to Nina is gonna be a whole lot more difficult, but-"

"-I've told you before, she doesn't want to see me."

"Sure she does. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Right…"

"Hey, I'm serious," Rei leant forward, "I saw you and her do the whole thing back there. When a girl looks at you like that, it means something."

Ryu, about to shrug noncomitantly and pass away some negative remark, looked up suddenly. "You really think so?" he said.

"Of course!" Rei said, "if you really meant nothing to her, do you think she'd pay you the slightest bit of attention? I'll be honest, you really screwed things over with that dragon stunt, but you aren't out yet, not by a long shot. Why, I bet she's up in that castle of hers right now crying her eyes out in her hanky just cuz she misses you so much, and regretting everything she said."

Lying back against the wall, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, Ryu murmured "Maybe…" and though he didn't finish the thought, a small smile glimmered onto his face.

"At any rate, it looks like we're going to be here for a while yet. Getting to Nina is gonna be tough, but we'll find a way somehow. I'm sure Durandal won't mind."

The great thing about Rei, Ryu realised, was that even when he sounded as though he was joking, he was actually completely serious.

Several hours later, and the living room was a tip. Packets of food strewn were strewn all over the floor, bottles of beer rolled about; Rei's pack had burst a seam, and exploded in a glorious rainbow of machinery. All sorts of machine and gadget littered the floor, forming a carpet. Durandal had barricaded himself in his room, not physically able to witness the destruction of his beautiful house.

"I'm so bored…" moaned Rei, still slouched in his seat, his eyes wandering over to the window to witness the darkening sky. "We've been here all day…"

"Sorry Rei, you go out if you like," Ryu said, "you don't need to keep me company."

"Nah, I wouldn't abandon a mate, "Rei uncorked a bottle of beer, "we can stay here and have a good time. It's just a bummer they stuck that drawing of your face up, otherwise we'd be able to go out. Want some booze?"

"Yeah, alright."

Rei grabbed another beer and slung it underarm to Ryu, now lazing on the settee.

Abruptly, Durandal burst through the door, his face bright. "I just heard you talking," he said quickly, "did you say you'd be able to go out if you had some way to disguise your face Ryu?"

He nodded. "It sucks doesn't it?" said Rei.

"Well, I think I know a way to help you. Recently I learnt this new spell from a scroll I found in the attic; it changes physical features, so long as the caster has something to copy off. You won't be recognised then."

Both Rei and Ryu jumped out of their seats at the same time.

"Durandal, that's brilliant!" exclaimed Rei, grabbing hold of his arms. "With that spell, Ryu will have no trouble getting to Nina! Why, I could almost kiss you!"

"Please don't," whimpered Durandal.

Letting go of him, Rei turned to Ryu, "what do you think?" he said. "You willing to give it another shot? Are we gonna get Nina back?"

Ryu gazed out the window, contemplating the night sky, the image of Nina's eyes boring into him still embedded onto the back of his retina.

"Yes," he said. "I'm finished with being depressed; I've realised now, I can't give up on her that easily. If I do, I know I'll regret it forever." His face split into a smile, "and besides, I can't let her escape that easily, can I?"

Rei laughed aloud, and clapped him on the arm "Finally!" he exclaimed, "Ryu's back!"

"Can't get rid of me that easily," he said, throwing his hand in the air for a high five. "Can you cast that spell now Durandal? If we're going to come up with a plan, we ought to scout around the castle first. Maybe there'll be somewhere we can sneak in."

"You won't have any luck there," Durandal shook his head, "they've got guards stationed everywhere. That castle is sealed tight as a drum. You'll have to come up with a more clever way if you really want to get in."

"Well then…" said Rei, "why don't we head down to the pub?"

Ryu snorted, "As fun as that sounds, I'm not sure it'll be very helpful."

"Hey, everyone knows the best gossip goes down in the pub. We might find out something important," said Rei, winking.

"Are you just saying that because you want another drink?"

"What else can we do right now? Trying to do everything at this moment is just going to prove fruitless, and who knows, maybe we'll learn a way to get into the castle. If not, I'm still looking forward to trying some of that famous Wyndian ale."

Ryu laughed, raising his hands in defeat. "Alright, I see your point. We'll head down to the pub. Durandal, do your thing."

"Alright, but I'll need a picture of someone to copy off first," he said. "I had a newspaper here somewhere, but I think it's been buried under all this… _mess_."

Ryu and Rei began digging around, often picking up Momo's scientific notes, and then tossing them away. After a few minutes of unsuccessful foraging, Rei uncovered the black and white Wyndia Weekly, and began flipping through it to find a sketch of someone. When he did, he burst out into hysterical laughter, passing it to Durandal, who couldn't help but crack a smile too.

"What is it?" said Ryu, his eyes narrowing. "You better not be turning me into some sort of mutant." He reached out to snatch the paper, but Rei whisked it out of reach.

"Hold still Ryu," Durandal said. He focused hard on the picture, and laid the flats of his hands onto Ryu's face. He whispered the incantation, and Ryu felt his body changing, as though he was made from putty. His features were being tweaked and moved by invisible hands, bits flattened, widened, or taken off completely. It felt very uncomfortable, and when it subsided he let out a breath of relief, and stared quizzically at Rei and Durandal, who were, quite literally, rolling around with laughter.

"It's not that bad, is it?" he asked.

"You look- hilarious!" Rei managed to say between bursts of laughter, pulling himself together long enough to grab a mirror from the sideboard and throw it to him. Ryu caught it, with orange webbed hands.

_Oh no… _he thought.

He slowly lifted the mirror to his face, as Durandal and Rei were racked with laughter. The orange scaly face of a manillo glared back. A manillo with orange spiky hair.

"Durandal…" he said slowly, "what have you done to me?"

Durandal's laughter stopped. He looked sheepish. "Sorry Ryu, I guess I haven't quite got the hang of that spell quite yet…"

"Quite yet?!" exclaimed Ryu. "It's bad enough you change me into a manillo, but I look like a manillo with a wet cat on his head!"

"Chill Ryu," said Rei, still laughing, "no one is ever going to recognise you like that, even with the hair."

"I'm going to get you back for this, you do realise that, don't you?"

"Oh yes, I know," he slung his arm over his friend's shoulders, "now let's head to the pub, my fishy friend."

They left Durandal's house, he himself staying behind to 'access the damages'. They exited onto a long dark street, and made their way round towards the pub. A lamp was burning outside, and the door swung closed behind them.

It was quiet inside. The bar staff were sat bored with nothing to do, the tables wiped clean, glasses sparkling, the floor swept. There were only half a dozen other customers, the rest, Ryu assumed, had been driven off by rumours of himself. Apparently the king's efforts at reassuring his people hadn't been entirely successful. He had never realised how frightening he was.

Rei ordered himself some ale, and sat down at an empty table to propose to it. Ryu meanwhile had more business in mind. He sat down at the bar, bought a pint of bitter from the bored bar maid, and began conversing with her.

"Say," he said, putting a webbed hand down on the counter, "it's rather quiet tonight, isn't it?"

"Sure is," sighed the woman, "it ain't been this quiet in weeks. I put it all down to the rumours, it' cain't been anything else."

From her voice, Ryu thought he recognised her, and he realised she was the same woman who had been serving on that busy night that he had arrived. That all felt like a long time ago now.

"What rumours are these then?" he asked.

She shot him a startled look, "You ain't heard 'em?"

"Just arrived in town."

"Aw, right," she said, nodding. She leant in to explain it to him. "Okay, yesterday, the Princess Nina was over at this lord's estate, coupla' miles outta town- cuz rumour has it that they're engaged, soon to be engaged, or summin' like that- when this great big dragon, and I'm serious here, appears outta nowhere and tries to turn Lord Edmund into a crisp!"

She moved in closer, "But do you know what a lotta' of us here think? We reckon that there dragon wasn't after Mr Lord, we reckon it was after the Princess!" she winked, "cuz you know all the old kids stories about dragons kidnapping princesses, yeah? Well although there's a lot more guards around the town, there's even more protecting the castle- the ol king must have been emptying his pockets hiring all these new brave boys! As he said, he ain't protecting the town from being destroyed, because he know it ain't gonna happen, what he **is** protecting is his daughter. I just reckon Edmund got in the way, and the dragon thought it was too much effort, and that it would try again when the Princess didn't have her knight.

"I know it's hard to believe, but there ya are! There were over a hundred eye witnesses in the area that saw it happen."

It was startling close to the truth, Ryu realised, though the idea of Edmund as Nina's 'knight in shining armour' set him on edge, especially since the man was so close to becoming her 'shining prince of amours'. It made him feel sick, but before he could speak, an old man in a mouldy brown overcoat shifted one seat closer to him, apparently having been listening in.

"Don't believe any of it!" he warned him, waggling a finger in his face. "It's all a load of rubbish, and you'll be a fool to believe it too. Dragons kidnapping princesses, fighting princes- bah! I've never heard anything so ridiculous. I tell you, the world's going mad, and it's the taxpayer's money that they're using to hire all those guards and soldiers. Useless, the most of 'em too. They're so desperate to hire staff that they'll employ any idiot that stumbles their way into Wyndia."

His piece said, his stomach grumbled, and he himself, grumbling, made his way to the bathroom. The woman at the bar shook her head, amused.

"That man doesn't believe anything," she said simply.

Ryu wandered over to Rei's table, his head buzzing with thoughts. He sat down opposite him.

"Find anything useful out?" Rei asked, lowering his voice so nobody would overhear.

"Yeah," said Ryu, just as quietly, "apparently they're hiring a lot of new men to protect the castle. It could be my ticket to get in. If I can get Durandal to cast his spell on me, I could apply for a job, and then I'd be free to walk around the castle."

"Good idea, you'll have no problem getting to Nina then," said Rei.

Ryu put his head in his hands, his eyes dimming. "I just hope after all this she'll be willing to hear what I have to say."

The door clanked open, and Momo stepped through the threshold. She stood in the doorway, hands on her hips.

"Aha!" she cried, "I knew I'd find you here."

She strode over to Rei, shooting him an impervious look. "What happened to meeting me at the inn, huh?" she said. "You're twenty four hours late- and where's my stuff?"

"Quietly, Momo," Rei hissed from the corner of his mouth, "you're drawing attention to us."

"It's alright, the guards are so busy looking for Ryu that they won't bother about us," said Momo, lowering her voice considerably all the same. She sat down, looking disappointed. "I thought you'd probably found him, and that's why you hadn't come to the inn. I saw the posters."

"Actually…" said Rei, and he gestured to Ryu. Momo stared hard at the manillo, with particular attention to the upper head.

"I recognise that hair…" she said softly, "Ryu, is that really you?"

"Hey Momo," said Ryu, with a touch of embarrassment.

Her face split into a cheeky smile, "Love the hair Ryu. How'd you end up like that?"

"We met up with Durandal," explained Rei, "he found a spell in his attic that could change what people look like."

"Really? That's very complicated magic. I'm impressed."

"That explains why he screwed it up then," said Ryu grumpily. Momo chuckled.

"Is that where you're staying then, at Durandal's home?"

"Yeah, he's got himself a house down the back alleys. It's where I left all your equipment, if you want it." Rei glared at his empty ale mug, willing it to magically refill.

"Ah," Momo said laboriously, a thought apparently having come to mind. "I've got something important I need to talk to you about Ryu. I spoke with Nina earlier today."

Ryu looked directly at her, his gaze so strong it could burn a hole in any person's unsuspecting back. "How is she?" he asked.

"Awful," Momo replied flatly. "You've wrecked her with these silly stunts of yours. I don't know what you were thinking, but she says she can't forgive you for what you did."

"She… said that?" the colour literally drained from his face.

"Yes. But at the same time… she wanted me to tell you that she was sorry, and that she didn't mean what she said when she called you a monster. Despite what she may say otherwise, she really likes you Ryu, and this is hurting her. But you have to understand that she's trapped between a rock and a hard place at the moment, and you have to approach this sensibly." She halted, looking awkward. "I… shouldn't have to say this, but you are serious about this, aren't you? This isn't just some whim you're acting on?"

"Of course not," said Ryu, a little indignant. "Nina's always been very important to me, even since we were kids. She was the only one who really believed in me, and trusted me. I started to feel for her when we were travelling together, though it's only recently I've understood what those feelings meant. Being trapped in a mine for ten years doesn't particularly give you much relationship experience, you see! But this is how I feel, and I can't stand the idea of her being with anybody else."

"I thought as much," said Momo, smiling. "Are you going to try to change her mind?"

"Yes," he paused, and asked Momo, "do you… think that's the right decision?"

She hesitated, "I… well… personally, I'm with you Ryu. Maybe it's because I'm not a princess, but I don't think you should have to marry someone just because it'll make your family look good, especially if you're in love with someone else at the time. I understand Nina's got to do certain things, being royal, but when I saw her today she was in the saddest mood I've ever seen. She looked absolutely miserable. Her spirit seemed broken. What I'm afraid of is that is she marries this man, she might remain this way. She might be doing her duty as a princess, but she won't be Nina anymore. Some sacrifices are worth taking, but this one… I think the stakes are just far too high. If she goes through with this, I fear something dreadful if going to happen to her."

Ryu sat up straight, a determined expression etched onto his face. "It's decided then," he said. "For her sake, as well as mine, I'll win her back. Tomorrow I'll go to the castle and apply for a job, and then I'll snatch Nina's love back right from under their noses. Those Wyndians won't know what hit 'em."

* * *

**A/N**- Thanks to everyone for their reviews! Writing Rei's speech is lots of fun, I know some people don't like to put accents into dialog, but I'm one of the people who prefer it that way, so long as it's readable. (I found Joseph's Yorkshire accent in Wuthering Heights impossible to read, even with the notes in the back of the book!)

I added a little bit extra humour into this chapter, cuz the last one was so depressing, and I thought I better even it out. Let me know if it gets too much though, okay?


	12. The Open Window

**A/N- **Apologies for the long wait, everyone! I've been off doing NaNoWriMo, but at last, I finally I have time for this story again. Hooray! Thanks very much to my lovely reviewers for their patience.

**Recap; **Ryu finds a place to hide out with Rei at Durandal's, and together with Momo, he finally regains his resolve about Nina, deciding that he will try again to talk her out of her arranged marriage. He concocts a plan with them; that tomorrow, he will enter Castle Wyndia as a new recruit with Rei, under the spell to disguise them.

Meanwhile, Nina is cracking. Her indecision is finally showing, and she no longer knows what to do. However, time is now running out, and soon, she must choose. The middle road is no longer an option.

_A Princess's Duty_

_XII_

_**The Open Window**_

The bright morning rays shone in through the window, lighting on Nina's face. Behind her, Lyn was plaiting her hair into two braids, which she clipped into place round her head like a crown. Annie leafed through the wardrobe, chatting to herself as she rummaged through.

"How about that silk pink dress today, Princess?" she garbled happily. That one looks go----orgous on you. I just wish I had such beautiful clothes!"

Nina sat sullenly, Lyn adding the final touches to her hair. When Annie tried to suggest another outfit, Nina shook her head. "It's alright, I'll sort it out myself. Just…" she shook her head, eyes directed to the carpet. "Just leave me..."

Exchanging a glance, the two maids filed out, closing the door behind them.

Nina rose, wandering to the window, and pulling it open for some fresh air. But the breeze was still, and no wind blew in from that portent. She drifted quietly back to her dressing table, and rearranged some of the pieces of paper which had started to pile into a large untidy heap. As she did, she discovered the golden bug from Edmund's hoard, previously obscured by an old letter from a far-away noble lady. It was still sitting on her table, untouched by any dust or dirt, and glinting in the sunlight.

She picked it up, turning it over in her hands. Edmund was visiting today, she remembered. One of his pages had arrived late the previous night to inform them. The thought, however, made her feel immensely sad, although she knew it shouldn't.

Unconsciously, she pressed in the button that activated the insect, and its wings fluttering, it took to the air. For a moment, it hovered about her head, before darting to the window, and out into the sky.

"Oh!" she cried in alarm, hurrying towards the window. She caught the final glitter before it disappeared into the glare of the sun.

She backed away to the wall, and slumped down, bumping down onto the carpet. "Heh!" she said, with twisted amusement, drawing her knees close to her body, arms encircling them. "You're lucky," she whispered. "You can fly- and escape this place. My wings… they've been clipped. But I can't go back-no, I can't go back. Not now. It's too late, far far too late…"

She heard a loud knock at the door, and swiftly got to her feet, dusting her nightdress from any invisible dirt it might have collected from the ground. "Enter!" she called.

The door creaked open, and one of her mother's handmaidens entered hesitantly. "Princess…?" she said. "The Queen wants you to know that Lord Edmund has just arrived."

"Fine," said Nina, sweeping a loose lock of hair back behind her ear. "Please tell him I will be down in a few minutes."

The handmaiden left, and Nina absently opened the door of her wardrobe, rummaging through with a sigh. Suddenly, she caught a flash of familiar red. Curiously, she pulled at it, and like a vision from a dream, her old dress from her journey was in her hands. She hadn't seen it in months, as it had been slowly sinking to the back of the wardrobe. Careworn, the edges fraying, it felt unnaturally light in her hands. So smiling sadly, she replaced it on the hanger, and tucked it away, a terrible feeling of longing in her heart. Instead, she pulled out the nearest dress she saw, and slipped it on.

Nina traversed the stairs, heading down past the courtyard, where she glanced to see the captain of the guards instructing the new recruits. Ryu watched her pass, now human again, with closely cropped blond hair and handsome face, decked in the Wyndian uniform. He nudged Rei with his elbow.

"There she is."

Rei watched her glide out of sight, he too in his own disguise. "At least we know she's here," he said quietly.

The captain clapped his hands together, drawing their attention. "Alright you maggots," he called, "to your posts! More training will commence this afternoon, three sharp. You know where you're going, so get to work!"

The newly trained guards began to scatter, and Rei dragged Ryu behind a pillar to converse.

"You got a plan?" he asked.

"We can't follow Nina now, it'll be too suspicious," said Ryu, shaking his head. "We ought to stick to our posts now, and I can try to get close to her at the end of my shift."

"Alright," said Rei. "If I manage to catch her, I'll try an' find a way to get her to you." He fingered his new face, which was round, and sported permanently startled features.

Before they could say anymore, the captain spotted them shirking, and sent them packing, barking out commands to get to their designated posts.

Being new recruits, Ryu and Rei didn't yet have the privilege to guard anywhere important. Instead, Ryu was stationed outside the kitchens, with Rei upstairs outside one of the smaller guestrooms, currently occupied by a dirt-poor third cousin with a gambling addiction.

Guard duty, as Ryu swiftly found, was incredibly dull. The only amusement his peers had found was in harassing the young maids, slapping their backsides as they passed and whistling. Yes, the Wyndian Guard was a top notch establishment, very educated, oh-so cultured…

Ryu, who might have usually joined in on this harmless horseplay, found his thoughts occupied by Nina.

We're both foolish, he thought. But don't two fools belong together?

Whilst thinking this, he heard an very familiar voice from down the hallway. "Just give me a minute!" said Nina, sounding to Ryu her old strong self. But when she came into sight, Ryu realised this was far from the truth.

She seemed to be walking along in a nervous daze, half twitchy, and half lost in a dreamy world. She would walk, half float, with her face glazed, but then she would throw a sudden glance over her shoulder, eyes darting like a nervous doe's.

Nina, how could you let yourself get into this state? Ryu thought to himself.

The guards nearby were busy flirting with a blushing maid, and Ryu realised this might be his only chance to speak with Nina. As she passed him, he reached out a hand and took hold of her arm.

She turned to look at him, her big blue eyes as large as dinner plates. She clutched helplessly at his shirt, drawing closer to him.

"Please sir, you have to help me," she said madly, her whole face glittering. "I think--- I think he's going to prepose..! Oh, I am ruined. Ruined, ruined, ruined. What will I---I mean--- how will…?"

"Lambert!" yelled a voice from down the corridor. Nina pulled away looking frightened. As she hurried off a senior looking guard approached Ryu, an irritated look on his features. "Lambert, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, looking directly at him. "You're supposed to be on patrol in the water gardens!"

Ryu, who had been somewhat put out by Nina's mad words, failed to understand what was happening. "Lambert?" he asked, looking blank.

The man slapped his face with one hand, shaking his head in annoyance. "I know you were involved in that accident, and I _am_ glad that you apparently decided to cut your sick leave short, but if you can't even remember your own name, I think you would have done better to have stayed home."

It was then that Ryu caught on. He playfully elbowed the man in the ribs, slinging his arm round his shoulders. "Only joshing you Capt'n. I haven't really forgotten. The water gardens, yeah? I'm on it."

With it, he sidled away to the left, looking confident.

"The water gardens are the _other way_, Lambert," said the man, and in one fluid movement, Ryu spun around, and headed back in the other direction, whistling cheerfully.

In the water gardens, there was silence. All Ryu could hear was the sound of trickling water, and the faraway chirping of exotic birds. He meandered through the trees, till, again, he caught sight of a far more exotic and beautiful avian.

Nina was making her way through the trees, Edmund in front of her. Her heart was thudding in her chest, as though she knew, instinctively, what was about to happen. When Edmund turned to look at her, she would smile, but as soon as his eyes were diverted that smile would sag, as though the weight of the world itself was pulling her face down.

He led her through, the sound of crickets chirping in stereo. He pushed back the foliedge that blocked their way, and sunlight burst though. Ahead was the little island surrounded by water, the single bench planted in the middle of the grass like a sturdy tree. It was the place where Edmund had asked her out on their first date.

"Do you know why I asked you here Princess?" said Edmund, turning to face her, the sunlight shimmering in his tawny hair.

"I… don't know," lied Nina, her pulse quickening.

"This is the place where I begun courting you- and so, I hope, the place you'll begin your life with me."

The sound of the birds, and the crickets, and the intense heat in the air had surrounded them, encapsulating them.

Edmund got down onto one knee, and pulled an ornate jewellery box from his jacket.

"What I'm trying to say, I guess, is… will you marry me, Nina?"

The ring case snapped open, and the object inside glittered almost blindingly. It was his mother's ring that glinted in the light. He was offering the ring that meant so much to him and Frederick, all for the price of a princess's hand in marriage.

Seeing Nina's shocked look, Edmund explained.

"I was originally planning on just buying you a ring, but since you were able to find it for me… well, I realised that you must be destined for it. What do you say?"

Nina found herself quite unable to speak- her throat had closed up, and it felt as though someone had thrust a plug down her windpipe. A cold fear had filled her body; it was the cold fear for a loveless future. She wanted to run- run as far away as she could- to anywhere. Her muscles and her heart were urging her away, but her head, and the mental chains she had wrapped around herself so tightly, told her to stay.

At last, the tension and indecision overcoming her, she mumbled, "Give me a moment- I need to think," and hurried away. She didn't run, but the quickness in her step betrayed her. Hurriedly, she made her way back inside the castle.

Ryu, who had watched this whole discourse with a knotted stomach, rose from his hiding place behind the bushes. Fighting the urge to rush forward and push Edmund into the lake, he followed after Nina, her skirts sweeping along the ground urgently.

As he approached the castle, he had to slow, passing the guards posted by the door with a swift nod. By the time he had reached the courtyard, he had lost her.

So engrossed in his search was he, that Ryu had to jump when Rei tapped him on the shoulder. "I just saw Nina go past," said Rei quietly.

"Which way?"

"Up the stairs, and to the left. I'll take your place in the garden. Good luck."

Rei broke off from him, as Ryu pounded up the stairs, coming to a prettily decorated corridor that shot off in two directions. The way Nina had gone led to a dead end with two doors on either side. As he approached them, he heard the sound of rushing water, as though a tap was on full-blast. Partially disguised by this, a woman was crying.

Opening the door softly, Nina did not hear Ryu come in, nor did she notice the quiet click as he closed it behind him.

In the roomy and elaborately tiled bathroom Nina was slumped on the floor beside the basin. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried nosily, letting out little cries of anguish that mingled with her tears. The tap was on fully, but it could not cover the awful laments that Nina was crying.

Ryu couldn't help but feel a cold hand clutch hold of his heart. It was heartbreaking. This was not his Nina with him, but a young broken woman, literally, on her knees.

And the worst thing about it, he realised, was that she had done it all to herself.

Treading softly, he came up behind her, and touched her gently on the shoulder. She spun around as though stung, swiftly picking herself up from the floor.

"Who are you?" she asked, clumsily wiping away her tears with one hand.

Ryu felt out for the spell, and gripped it with one hand. He pulled it off from his head, leaving it lingering, so that Nina could see his true face.

"Ryu!" she cried in shock, taking a step backwards. For a few moments, she considered him, before breaking out into a quiet mirthless laugh, punctuated by a rebellious hiccup. "You really are determined, aren't you?"

Ignoring her, Ryu wasted no time. He got straight to the point. "Are you going to accept that man's proposal?" he asked her.

She turned away. "Yes. I have to," she said, her face stony.

"You don't have to do anything," said Ryu, unrelenting. "And I'm still unsure as to why you think you have to. You're a free woman- nobody has the power to force you into anything you don't want to do."

"You don't understand anything," said Nina irritably, twisting her head over her shoulder to glance at him. "A… chicken farmer…! has more freedom than me. I'm a princess, and I'm bound by my duties. Our freedom is the price we pay for our power. We've been over this before. What part of this is so hard for you to understand?"

Ryu came closer to her, so he stood inches away, almost touching her. Softly, he reached up to touch her cheek. "You may be a princess, but you are also Nina. Which one comes first?"

She pushed his hand away. "I'm known as Princess Nina. The 'princess' comes before the 'Nina'. Doesn't that give you a clue?"

"I've never been much for titles," admitted Ryu humbly. "You've always just been Nina to me. What does it matter if you're a princess or not? Noblewoman, princess, queen… you'll always be Nina underneath. That title is just a layer of gauze you're using to hide under, and it itself is as unsubstantial as air. It only exists because of the belief others hold for you."

Looking puzzled by his words, and a little touched, Nina shook her head, gathering back up her resolve. "Even- even if that was true-" she said, regaining strength, "-you would- you would do well to respect my decisions. Don't you understand what 'no' means?"

"But is it your decision, or your mother's? If I knew-wholly, and entirely- that this was what you wanted, then yes, I would respect your decision. And yes, I would leave you alone. But you've been pressured into this, and not just because of your family. _You_ yourself have done it. Against your own will, and against common sense you have done this to yourself Nina. If I don't stop you, you'll force yourself to marry a man you don't love- and for what? Status! Respect! Just so you'll look good in society's eyes, because of some stupid predetermined social values!"

Nina turned away, indignant. "I'm not a child," she said. "I'm not so naïve that I don't know what I'm doing… I couldn't possibly expect you to understand, Ryu."

At this, fire started in Ryu's eyes, and he roughly took hold of Nina's shoulders, causing her to almost cry out. "No, you don't know what you're doing," he said coldly. "You have no idea. You've been so busy thinking of what you _should_ do, and how you _should_ behave, that you've lost sight of the bigger picture. Don't you know what marriage entails, Nina? It's not just a pretty dress and an 'I do'- you'll be expected to bear his children. Maybe you might have a nice wedding, and I'm sure the wedding banquet will be delicious. But afterwards, you'll be expected to retire to his room, to lie down on a cold wide bed, and to let him take you. Is that want you _want_?"

Nina fought back another wave of tears, feeling sick to her stomach. "You- you're just jealous," she managed to retort, gulping down her real feelings of disgust.

"Jealous?" said Ryu, his voice aflame. "Of course I'm jealous! The thought of that man, or any other- touching you!- it makes me so angry I want to kill something! Nina--- you don't understand how I feel about you…! This is madness, and this is insanity, but-!"

He paused, the electricity between them crackling, Ryu's face flushed with emotion.

"But-I love you Nina. You're the only woman I've ever said that to, and I want you to be the last…"

Silence flowed between them, Nina looking down, a thick feeling of shame in her stomach. At last, she said, "I'm sorry Ryu. I didn't realise you felt so strongly about me. But… this is just something I have to do. You're right- maybe I don't completely want it, and maybe it doesn't make much sense to you, but there's no way to avoid it now. This is the path I've chosen. I just hope… we can still be friends." She smiled hopefully at him. He moved away.

"I'm sorry Nina, it's all or nothing. If you belong to that man, then I can have nothing more to do with you. I wouldn't be able to bear it."

Nina gave a cry of pain, and rushed towards him. "But I- that isn't what I wanted!" she said, clutching hold of him. "I still want to see you! We're best friends, right?"

"If this is the path you've chosen, then you shouldn't hesitate," said Ryu. "Do you really know what you want? You've changed so much."

Her face scrunched up in anguish, and she exclaimed, "So have you! Why are you so serious?"

"There are times to be serious and times to be silly. You're a wreck, Nina."

Nina put her head in her hands, and began to cry. "I know! I know! But it's the only- the only…"

Ryu heard the heavy clanking of guards' footfalls from outside, and he knew someone was approaching. Before he left, he put a hand on Nina's shoulder as she shook, and drew close to her ear.

"I'll save you," he said. "Whether you like it or not..."

x

In the water gardens, Rei watched from a distance as Nina returned. She had freshened up, and her eyes were no longer red and puffy. She made her way over to Edmund, where he sat on the bench. He rose as she approached, and they stopped a few feet from one another.

Raising her eyes from the ground, Nina said one word. "Yes." Edmund smiled, and pulled Nina into his embrace. Then, he tilted Nina's head up to face him, and kissed her gently, his lips lingering on hers.

Rei found he had to divert his eyes- he couldn't even bear to watch.


	13. Know Thy Enemy

**A/N**_-_ Thanks everyone for the reviews! Here's chapter 13!

**Recap- **Ryu sneaks into Wyndia castle with Rei in disguise so that he can speak to Nina. He finds her a mess, and again tries to convince her to forget Edmund and the wedding. She turns him down, and when Edmund later preposes, she accepts.

_A Princess's Duty_

_XIII_

_**Know thy Enemy**_

Before long, rumours spread like wildfire through Wyndia. Women gossiped in the streets, men talked in the taverns, even children were bursting with the news; that soon, Princess Nina was to be married. At early morning they clustered at the castle gates, piling up in their hundreds upon the marble steps, and calling for a confirmation of these rumours.

Nina, who stood by the window, peeking out behind the net curtain at this crowd, groaned loudly. Around her the castle bustled with restless excitement. Sheila crossed the room towards her, clipping on her diamond earrings, a wide smile plastered across her face.

"Did you memorise that speech, darling?" she asked, beaming at her daughter.

Nina fingered the crumpled speech in her hands. "I think so," she said nervously.

"Great! Edmund's just getting dressed, so we should be ready soon." She looked thoughtfully at her for a few moments, and pulled Nina into an unexpected and hearty hug.

"I'm so happy Nina!" she cried, chin resting upon her daughter's shoulder. "The way things started out, I wondered if this day would ever come. But Nina…" she pulled back, looking her directly in the eye. "Nina, I'm so proud of you. Nothing could make me happier."

Nina smiled weakly. "I know," she said.

"We'll make this the most spectacular royal wedding ever!" said Sheila, her eyes glittering. "You can have whatever you want, darling! Whatever you want! Your father won't mind. We'll bring in that tailor from Rhapala, and oh! The finest silk from Ceres! Just ask, and it's yours."

The staff hurried around them, and out of the crowd, a young page seemingly appeared from nowhere. He leant down into a low bow.

"Your majesties, everything is prepared. The King is waiting."

Sheila took her hand, offering her a shining smile. "It's time," she said. "Come and announce this wonderful news to your people."

The doors were flung open and Nina, her mother, father and attendants came out above the steps, into a space the guards had cleared. Edmund joined them from behind, standing by Nina's side in freshly pressed linen, shirt fastened by a silver brooch, setting off the colour of his grey dappled wings.

The sound of the horns blasting out a rippling chorus brought the chattering crowd to attention. They turned cheering to the royal family, whistling and whooping. The King raised a hand, calling for quiet. Slowly, the noise died down, the last pockets of chatter extinguished.

The King was speaking now, though Nina wasn't listening. She stood on edge, her wing tips twitching nervously. In this manner, she waited for her cue. Her eyes darted towards Edmund for a second and she noticed that he looked to be even more anxious than herself.

For the first time, she considered how he felt about this wedding; it was true that he was nothing but courteous to her, but was that how he truly felt? Did he really want to be the future king of Wyndia? Now, as she realised, she had never really talked to him. Of course, they had spoken, but they had never really _talked_…

Why was she thinking this _now?_

"-To announce the coming marriage of Prince Edmund Celiaś Wyndia, with our very own Princess Nina."

The deafening roar of cheers surrounded Nina, and she suddenly had the absurd feeling that she was sailing out on the sea, in the midst of a raging storm, and that all she could do was to grip hold of the boom as hard as she could. Startled, she stepped forward, her words jumbled in her head. And quickly, she sorted them out.

"As your princess, I am happy to confirm this wedding between Prince Edmund and myself." The words rolled out of her mouth without any mental input. Instead, she surveyed the people as hundreds of eyes gazed back up at her. She was barely aware of what she spoke, and didn't even register that she had finished, nor did she notice when she stood back and allowed Edmund to say his piece. She watched him as sweat glistened on his brow, and as he spoke some nonsense that had been put together by her mother.

It was now just up to her to say a few final last words.

"Thank you; the wedding will take place a week today. Every citizen will be invited."

The cheering swelling up once more, Nina made her way out of the ocean with her family and back inside the castle. Edmund followed, wiping away the sweat that had pooled on his forehead.

From down in the crowd, Ryu sighed. He sat perched on the stairs, back against the wall, Rei and Momo with him.

"Well, that's complicated things," said Rei, chewing on the loose end of a straw.

"More like, completely messed them up," added Momo, languishing against the wall, a pair of sunglasses perched on the brow of her nose.

"Not yet," said Ryu with determination, as he adjusted his own. "I've got an idea."

*

"If we can't change Nina's mind about getting married, we'll have change it specifically on Edmund. If we can prove he's not suitable to be king of Wyndia, that tremendous sense of duty she has will kick in, and then there'll be no way she'll go through with the wedding."

They were back at Durandal's house, which, after several fruitless raids from the guards still remained their hideout. Every time they were searched, the guards would find, to their amusement, a set of completely different people, always trying very hard to look busy.

"That's a good idea-" said Momo. "-Presuming that Edmund does have some naughty secrets to hide. What if he's squeaky clean?"

"He won't be," Ryu waved a hand dismissively. "Everyone's got a secret or two they'd prefer kept hidden… we just have to reach in and pull them out."

"His house, then?" said Rei.

"We'll bundle his staff and take their places," explained Ryu. "And then we'll scout his house for any evidence. I think I've learnt the shape shift spell from Durandal successfully enough not turn myself into a frog again…"

"I'll come this time," said Momo, flicking a loose strand of hair from her eye. "I can't let you boys have all the fun."

They hitched a ride on the back of a cart trundling towards one of Edmund's many tenanted farms that resided on his estate. The dirt road was bumpy and full of potholes, and a wooden cart could hardly be said to have great suspension. Ryu found himself feeling a little bit sick.

"Wha'chu folks headin' down to Mister Edmund's place for, anyway?" the old famer in the front asked, tugging at the reigns on the horse. He tipped his wide straw hat forwards as the sun caught his eyes. "You lookin' fer work?"

"You could say that," said Rei, grinning.

The manor house rose up over the horizon, carved from rosy marble, the window ledges gilded. Rei gazed at it, whistling.

Soon, the cart came to an abrupt halt, throwing them forward and almost into the hay. Bruised, rubbing their aching limbs, the trio piled out.

"End of the road," said the farmer. "Good luck to ya all."

Ryu flicked him several zenny, but catching them, the old man shook his head and tossed them back.

"I don't want your money," he said, and his eyes moved over to Momo where she was plucking straw out from her hair. "Though a kiss could be nice, Ma'am."

He puckered his old crinkled lips playfully at her, and Momo laughed. She leant over the side of the cart to kiss him on the cheek. At the last minute however, he turned his head so that he caught her on the lips instead.

She pulled back, hand on her hips. "Cheeky!"

The old man grinned from ear to ear, though it was a smile that didn't linger long, knocked off by Rei's rocket punch. Out like a light, he slumped down into his seat.

Momo raised a finger innocently to her lips. "Oh my," she said. "The poor man."

"That may have been an overreaction," said Ryu, before he turned to the farmer's horse and smacked it on the backside. The house neighed, eying him with indignation, before trotting off on its way.

"We've only just arrived and we're already causing trouble," he sighed.

Rei shrugged. "He'll be alright. These country types have bones made of steel, I tell ya."

Momo elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Rei was just a little jealous, wasn't he?"

Rei's face flushed, and the two began bickering. Ryu turned away to survey Edmund's manor, deciding to leave them to it.

"There are a couple of people in the garden, look like maids," he said, turning his head over his shoulder to look at them.

"What do you mean? There's no way I'd kiss you!"

"Well news flash—I don't wanna kiss ya either!"

Ryu's mouth quirked in amusement. "Hey, you listening?" he said, and in unison, they looked towards him, faces red. "There's some of Edmund's staff over there--- they look like suitable candidates," he said.

On the front lawn, several maids were doing the laundry. They sat around a large wooden tub filled with soapy water, dragging the clothes over the scrubbing boards and attacking them with several lumpy bars. They gossiped as they worked, but this fell silent as Ryu and his friends approached. Ryu recognised one of the people with them; it was the cowardly butler, Franz. Ryu distinctly remembered seeing him fleeing in terror.

Right now however Franz seemed to be very busy eying up the women with their sleeves rolled up out of the water, their cheeks ruddy from the work.

"Hi," said Rei as they approached. "We're looking for work; do you know who would be the right person to talk to?"

Franz's eyes broke away reluctantly from the women. "The master hires all his staff personally. You'll have to ask him about work- follow me." He got up, but his gaze still flickered back to the maids. "Say, Sandra, Lola, would you like to take a stroll with me?"

The two maids exchanged glances, wanting very much **not **to take a stroll with him. But being their superior, they had little choice but to nod their heads and say, "Yessir."

However, Ryu had no desire to actually meet with Edmund, and so a few minutes later, walking down the corridor of the manor, Momo waved a hand, casting a sleeping spell over them all. They then promptly proceeded to hustle them all into a broom cupboard, Franz's favourite hangout, though admittedly this was not the sort of situation he had envisaged.

When the door swung open again, Franz and the two maids left, with no sign of Ryu, Momo, nor of Rei. One of the maids kept fidgeting uncomfortably with her dress, grumbling loudly.

"This is punishment, isn't it?" she said to Franz. "For making Durandal turn you into a manillo. It is, isn't it?"

"Yes, Rei, it is," said Franz. The other maid- Momo- couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright," said Ryu, "we'll split up and look for evidence. Just try not to look suspicious. We'll meet out front later."

They scattered in three different directions, Rei to the front rooms, Momo to talk to the staff in their quarters in the back. Ryu, meanwhile, took the upstairs.

In one of Nina's letters whilst they were still talking, she had mentioned offhand about Edmund's room being "high up". As the butler, it wouldn't be unusual for him to be rearranging possessions in his master's room… this disguise was going to make everything oh-so-easy.

Or rather, it should have done.

At the top of the stairs, he was greeted by the sight of a golden haired boy, a reckless smile playing on his face. In his hand was a water balloon.

"Ready for our next battle, Franz?" he said mildly, tossing the balloon upwards, and catching it in his palm; the product of an apparent continuing feud.

_Ah… crap_, thought Ryu, as he ducked.

x

Rei thought he might be onto something.

In the sitting room at the front of the house was a none-too-obvious small safe. Alone in the room, Rei was clear to try his luck on it, leaning down to fiddle with the combination, drawing out several complicated looking tools from his dress. As he got down onto his knees however, he heard a loud ripping noise, and turned to see a large tear in his skirt.

"Bloody hell, how do they work in these things?" he mumbled to himself. "I got a new found respect for Nina an' Momo…"

He set to work, and within minutes, he heard the lock click, and saw the safe swing open. "Bull's-eye," he whispered.

Rei pulled out the contents, digging to the bottom of the safe for any indiscriminating evidence Edmund might stash away from prying eyes.

He found none. The safe was filled with fat coins and receipts from several business transactions. Looking briefly at these, he started feeling around for any false walls. His fingers skilfully felt out the edges of the floor, and lifted it off.

"Aha!" he exclaimed softly, taking out the contents from below. What he held in his hands were two small paintings, though unfortunately, not of the incriminating sort as he had hoped.

The first was of a pretty blond Wyndian woman sitting down in an elaborately styled chair. A faded rose, her lips were raised in a smile, but her eyes were tired, and despite her formal posture, her shoulders seemed to sag. Edmund's mother, Rei presumed. In her arms was a little boy with a round smiling face and a nest of yellow curls. Standing by their side was a young Edmund, perhaps twelve years old. He stood tall and proud, evidently already the man of the house.

The latter was a sketch of the Wyndian royal family, obscure cousins excluded. Edmund's father was visible here, a tall rugged man of Edmund's build. Edmund himself was younger in this painting, standing by Nina's side as she glared grumpily at the artist.

Sighing with frustration, Rei replaced the mementos, wondering where he should check next.

x

Ryu had finally managed to get away from Frederick, who had insisted on chasing him around the whole house, mercilessly pelting him with balloons. He'd managed to lose him by ducking inside a room before the boy turned the corner.

Upon turning around to survey his surroundings, Ryu realised he was in Edmund's room.

"Well, that was convenient," he said to himself, pleased.

He knew it was Edmund's from the description Nina had given him. Obsessively neat and tidy… the double drawers… the amount of useless 'collectors' objects carefully stacked and displayed.

Plucking shrunk plastic from his damp suit, Ryu began his search. He checked the draws, the back of the wardrobe, even looking under the bed.

He scratched his head. _I was sure I would find something… perhaps I'm not looking hard enough. _Leaning down, he rolled back part of the carpet, hunting for a trapdoor. He bypassed the journal on the desk, realising it must be a public journal, rather than a private one if Edmund was so careless to leave it out like that.

He was so busy in his search however, that he didn't hear the sound of footfalls behind him, getting increasingly louder, until Edmund tapped him on the shoulder.

Ryu jumped skittishly, and promptly smashed his head into the window ledge above. He sunk back down, hissing in pain.

To his surprise, Edmund laughed.

He looked dishevelled, with his shirt crumpled, hair hanging wet. In his hands was a bottle of wine; apparently, he'd been drinking for some time, if the glassy look in his eyes was anything to go by.

"Franz, what are you doing down there?" He offered his butler a hand, and awkwardly, Ryu took it.

"I'm sorry sir, I was looking for something I'd misplaced," he said.

Edmund waved his hand flippantly. "No worries!" he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed, swigging back the wine with gusto.

_This guy could give me a run for my money…_thought Ryu, raising an eyebrow. _He holds it well too, considering. _Ryu eyed the bottle, now half empty.

"Go get a glass and drink with me Franz," said Edmund. "I could do with some company."

Inwardly groaning, Ryu left to find one. By the time he returned, Edmund's bottle was looking considerably emptier.

"Damn," said Edmund, looking at his beloved bottle. "I shoulda' got you to fetch some more while you were up… nevermind. I've drunk too much anyway."

He hiccupped, and Ryu drew up a chair beside him. Edmund filled his glass, and then his own, spilling some onto the carpet.

"It's a bit early for drinking, surely sir?" dared Ryu, the cogs in his mind twirling. With Edmund in this condition, he pondered, it might be possible that he could discover something.

"Ah, you know I can't stand speeches Franz. I'm not made for crowds, least of all talking to 'em. I need this jus' to forget about it, and all the ones I'll be making in the future. Why'd I have to marry the girl outta all the contestants? I'm not made out for kingship…" his words tailed off, and he mumbled a little.

"You don't want to marry the Princess?" Ryu asked. Edmund looked at him oddly, and Ryu realised he wasn't being careful enough. Evidently, he and the butler had discussed this many times before.

"You know very well I don't," he said, his tone snappish. "I don't have a choice; when a queen of a huge kingdom asks you to do something, it's a demand, not a request. You can't very well refuse, even if the king _is _your uncle." He looked hard at his glass, and drained it.

Ryu sipped at his own- it was a wonderful vintage, but he had to be cautious. If he didn't watch his every word, he could be found out. Being completely inebriated wouldn't help him here, no matter how fun the prospect sounded.

"The Queen sure is something," he said lightly.

Edmund broke out into a bout of uncontrollable laughter, filling his glass with the rest of the bottle.

"That's an understatement of the century. Do you remember what I said before? About how she lectured me for an hour about how I should behave towards her daughter to get her to like me… heh! The woman is relentless. Having her for a mother-in-law is going to be worse than the marriage itself. I'm going to need lots of this stuff-" he raised his glass, "-to get through that!"

He lapsed into silence, his eyes wandering to the map of the world that stretched across the wall. Ryu got the distinct impression that he was thinking hard.

"They say that there's mountains of gold, and silver, in the mountains furthermost from Dauna…" His voice was dreamlike, almost breathless. "No one has ever been there before. It's just waiting to be discovered! And they say that the sun, when it hits the sea, creates the most beautiful sunset, silhouetted by the hills. I want so much to go. I should be there now!- only-" his eyebrows knotted, "this bloody wedding! Why do I want to get married for? I don't give a **damn** about rings, or romance! My romance is out there, discovering the world! That's where I should be, _right there_!" he stabbed his finger towards the map, and suddenly sank back brooding, his passion over, nursing his glass once more.

"You could always make up an excuse, so you wouldn't have to go through with the wedding?" said Ryu, hopefully.

Edmund looked at him hard, his expression curious-and a little confused- before he shook his head, his eyes becoming clearer.

"Just ignore me Franz. This is the alcohol talking," he said, looking resolved. "There's no point thinking 'what if!'. I was born to a life of privilege- as a prince!- it would be selfish to think there would be no sacrifices to pay. Damn selfish! It was decided long ago, so there's no point fighting it now. If you're betrothed, then you're betrothed." He shrugged his shoulders carelessly.

Ryu couldn't help himself. "Betrothed?" he exclaimed.

This might have ended badly, had it not been for the large amount of wine Edmund had consumed. As it was, he mistook Ryu's tone for disgust.

"Yeah, I know. But what are you gonna do? I was only six, she was only four. It was a brief ceremony, and I don't think she remembers it. Odd thing is, Sheila told me not to mention it to her. Seems like she hasn't been told about it at all. It's all very weird. Nina's gone odd too though; I always remembered her as a rough n' tumble little girl, a real tomboy, always misbehaving. Now she's become this demure little princess… I just don't get it. Her mother musta' got to her too, I reckon. You'd need a big hammer to break that will!"

He chuckled at his own joke, and when Ryu didn't laugh, too caught up in his thoughts, he started to observe him curiously again.

"How's your sister, Franz?" he asked him abruptly.

Ryu's head snapped up. "Oh, yes, she's perfectly fine."

"Franz…?"

"Yes?"

"You don't have a sister."

Ryu stared at Edmund blankly, his logic long fled.

Edmund's brows narrowed. "You're not Franz," he said slowly, putting the glass aside, getting to his feet, apparently not as inebriated as Ryu had suspected before. He drew his sword, the sound of the metal slicing through the air.

"Just who are you?" he asked.


	14. Treason

_A/N- _Woo hoo, a quick update this time! I'm quite chuffed with myself. Because its so quick after the last one, I don't need to write a recap. Thanks Kain, Millen, Estrelita and 018481 for the great reviews. There's a big plot twist at the end of this chapter, and I'm finally beginning to reach a revelation I've been working to since chapter one. It's taken a while!

_A Princess's Duty_

_XIV_

_**Treason**_

Ryu stood unarmed, defenceless before Edmund, who regarded him with a curious, but angry stare. With a single sweep of his hand, Edmund dispelled Ryu's disguise, the butler's face melting away to reveal his enemy's.

"Ah!" exclaimed Edmund, his eyes wandering to Ryu's tell-tale hair. "You're Ryu! You're that dragon-man who attacked me!"

Would Nina mind very much if he flamebreathed her cousin? Reluctantly, Ryu got the feeling that she would.

"Your spell is no good to you now. It was very clever magic, but not clever enough."

What if he damaged him just a little bit? A slight singing couldn't hurt too much… right?

"Aren't you going to speak? Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" asked Edmund impatiently.

"Well, sir… I find there's very little to say," said Ryu, slowly.

He lunged for the window.

Ducking out of Edmund's reach, he threw himself shoulder first at the pane of glass. He felt the air rush around him, and the ground rush towards him. He twisted in midair, and met the ground in a roll. He leapt to his feet, and sprinted away over the front garden.

Distantly, he heard Edmund yelling, and heard footfalls crunching behind him rapidly on the gravel. An irritating thought occurred to him- that Edmund had wings, and had followed him, much more easily, out the window.

Ryu closed his eyes as he ran, biting his lip and concentrating hard. If he could transform before Edmund and his men reached him, he could escape. Already, he felt his body swelling with the energy of the brood, heat encapsulating him.

And suddenly, he was down, flat on his face. Edmund had caught up with him and pounced.

_Damn, I forgot how fast Wyndians are, _thought Ryu, his face pressed uncomfortably into the sharp gravel. _Them and their bird bones and aero-dynamics…_

Edmund's bulky bodyguards tied Ryu's hands behind his back, dragging him back up to his feet.

_I can't do anything to hurt Edmund… Nina would never forgive me. _He eyed the man irritably, as he stood watching, arms crossed, with a smug look on his face.

Now Rei and Momo had spotted them, and were hurrying towards Edmund's bodyguards, looking ready to attack. Ryu quickly gestured them away, mouthing, "It's no good." Reluctantly, they stopped, standing awkwardly in the crowd that had gathered to observe the action.

Edmund rounded on him. "What, exactly, do you have against me?" he demanded. "What is it? Tell me. This isn't to do with the grassrunners, is it?" A little bit of hesitation crept into his voice as he said this, and Ryu decided it sounded like a good excuse as any.

"Yes, yes it is," he said firmly.

Edmund threw up his hands in exasperation. "What I did was just and fair," he said, sounding like a man who had repeated this many times before. "They took our things first; snuck into our camp and stole it all! I really don't know why everyone is making such a big deal out it. If you're worried about what they said, then forget it; they were bluffing."

In this darkness, had Ryu stumbled upon an unexpected goldmine?

"Still, what you did was unacceptable," he bluffed.

"I merely compensated for our goods, and the trouble it took to hunt the thieves down, nothing more. An eye for an eye." He paused, and looked at Ryu hard. "The King mentioned that you know Nina; what relation is she to you?"

"I'm planning to steal her from you," said Ryu, who, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get out of this, had decided it might be fun to wind Edmund up in the meantime.

"Oh you are, are you?" he leered at Ryu, the only evidence of his wine drinking marathon only minutes earlier. "You might find that difficult, considering that we're getting married next week."

"Oh, I don't know," sighed Ryu. "I shouldn't think that it would be too difficult, especially since you're so aesthetically lacking compared to moi…"

"We're resulting to common insults, now are we?"

"My sword's bigger than yours too."

"What the devil does that have to do with--" his brain, soggy with drink, finally processed Ryu's insult. "Now that's just childish," he said, cheeks flushed. He turned away, trying to recover himself, and called, "Steve! Colin! Get this man to Castle Wyndia; I dare say that the King will be _very_ pleased to see him." A look of triumph settled upon his features.

Ryu eyed the two muscled bodyguards, who swiftly clamped hold of his arms like vices.

_I could blow these guys over with a single breath in my dragon form, but if Nina finds out, it'd defeat the object of me coming here in the first place…_

Resigned, he allowed the men to drag him away towards an old cart and horse. Edmund came with them, Rei and Momo following at a safe distance. They bound his whole body, and tossed him in the cart like a sack of grain.

Edmund climbed in next to him. "I'm not leaving anything to chance this time!" he said. "You won't escape now."

With a crack of the whip, the cart trundled away down the path, several of Edmund's bodyguards leaping in at the last moment, sending the whole cart shivering.

Rei and Momo exchanged a glance. "What should we do?" she asked.

"There's very little we can…" said Rei, with a slow sad shake of the head. "We can't hurt Edmund, and now we won't even be able to find out if Ryu learnt anything. We'll just have to hope Ryu can find a way out himself- he's in safe hands, at any rate. Whatever their differences, Nina won't let them treat Ryu badly."

They watched, despondently, as the cart travelled out of sight.

"Hey, you were with that man, weren't you?" questioned a voice from behind. Instantly defensive, Rei quickly swept around, answering a convincing, "What do you mean?"

He found he was quite surprised at the face he was staring at. Instead of a bodyguard or a butler, he faced down a young teenager. Looking at his clothes, Rei knew instinctively that he was no servant. He realised that this must be Edmund's brother, Frederick.

"It's alright you know," said Frederick. "I'm not going to turn you in."

Rei simply stared back, his lips sealed.

"I saw you gesturing to him," said Frederick, grinning.

"Oh…" said Rei.

A change swept upon Frederick's face, and he bit his lip, looking worried.

"Is that why he wants to find out about what happened in the South? To tell her? He and Nina _are _friends, right?" he asked abruptly.

Rei looked baffled. "Well, yes, but what do you mean about something happening in the south?"

"Well she's going to be shocked when she finds out, isn't she?" He glanced over Rei's shoulder, looking distracted. "To be honest, I've been thinking of telling her myself. She's going to find out soon anyway, so its better that she hears it from me rather than someone else…"

Momo held up her hands, stopping him in his tracks. "Hold on- what _are_ you talking about?" she asked. Frederick stared hard at her, thoughtful.

"You're friends with Ryu, I know that. But is Nina your friend too?"

"We've known her for years," Momo said with a soft smile.

Frederick stopped for a moment to think, and then nodded decisively. "I'm Fred, Edmund's brother," he said.

"Momo."

"Rei."

"Momo and Rei," he said with a smile, before it died on his lips. "You need to come with me. I have to explain some things, and I'll need your help. It's getting quite serious now. This really isn't the best time for a wedding…"

x

The Wyndian guards tossed Ryu into a grimy cell, and he landed hard on the concrete. Ironically, he was in the same cell he'd been thrown into as a child- though at the moment, he didn't find that fact very funny.

The iron gate closed with a sharp clang behind him, and Sheila swept in, leering down at him through the bars.

"Back where you belong I see, scum," she said, a large smirk stretched across her face. She seemed to be enjoying the irony a lot more than he was.

"Yeah, yeah Queenie; I get the joke," Ryu said, rubbing his bruised behind.

"Don't you sass me boy- don't you know that your life is in my hands?"

Ryu had many smart sounding retorts in mind to this- but he decided at the last minute that the smartest option might be silence.

Outside his cell, the Queen began to pace, her train brushing along through the dirt behind her. "For too long," she began, "for too long you've interfered with this family, and especially with my daughter. This ends now. I don't know how you've done it, nor do I care, but somehow you've spellbound her, and filled her head with nonsense about goddesses and destined cycles…" she shook her head in disgust, and turned directly to him. "Nina is going to be married to a good man, one that will look after her and carry on our line. And _you_ will _not_ interfere. Is that understood?"

"Nina doesn't _need_ someone to look after her," Ryu said.

"Oh yes she does," Sheila fumed. "To protect her from the likes of you! Once the wedding is over you will be put on trial. Don't expect too much; you'll never see the light of day again."

A smile lighting on her face, she stalked from the room, to where the captain of the guards stood with another man, apparently listening in.

"Your majesty," he said, following her up the stairs into the courtyard, his buddy following him. He sounded concerned, and she slowed, her face set into a frown.

"What is it?" she said.

"I was wondering if… if you remembered that day when Princess Nina disappeared, and we found her outside, with… ah, a man." He seemed reluctant to bring this up, and no doubt for good reason. Sheila's face soured even more in response.

"Yes, I remember," she said, sounding very much like she wished she didn't. "What of it?"

"Well," he said cautiously, glancing to the guard beside him. "Eustace here remembered something he thought you needed to now… he was on the search team that day. He thinks that the man the Princess was with, and this Ryu, well-"

He didn't even have to finish. Realisation flooded through Sheila's mind, and this obvious fact that had remained clouded for so long became clear as day. The chicken farmer and Ryu the dragon clansman became the one thing.

The captain was right to be hesitant in his explanation.

"THAT-…-THAT--" Sheila couldn't even pick a word nasty enough for him. Nina's behaviour, which had remained a mystery to her mother for so long finally made sense.

The girl had fallen in love with him.

She took a step back towards the dungeons, her hands balling up into fists. She halted, and reminded herself of the need to remain calm. To think about this logically. She took several deep breaths, fighting the simultaneous urge to both beat Ryu into a pulp and to run upstairs and scream at her daughter.

She forced herself to think about the wedding, about how close it was. She couldn't do anything to jeopardise that now. It was too important.

The captain sensed her distress. Bravely, he approached her and placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder.

"Don't worry your majesty; he'll be dealt with soon. He'll rot in that cell. Like you said, he'll never see the light of day again."

"Too right he won't!" exclaimed the Queen, slapping his hand away. She raised her own, and began ostentatiously counting on her fingers. "Two counts of kidnapping, the attack on a royal prince's life, not to mention, _seducing my daughter! _This goes _beyond_ the realm of imprisonment.

"After the wedding, for treason, I want him hanged!"


	15. Of Saviours and Damsels

A/N- Thanks for the reviews everyone! Here's chapter fifteen! I can't believe I've actually got this far. Originally, this story was supposed three chapters, if you can believe it. But I decided I couldn't put everything I wanted in only a few chapters, so it's grown- by a lot. It's gone from a short story to a novella… and now since we're approaching 50,000 words, it's become a novel. O_O How the heck did that happen?

_A Princess's Duty _

_XV_

_**Of Saviours and Damsels**_

Nina raised her arms impatiently, the dressmaker taking the measurements from around her waist. He was a small excitable man, clearly passionate about his profession. That he had been given this job seemed to have unhinged his jaw from its socket- because he talked non-stop. From on top of the dressmaker's stool, Nina had bird's eye view of his growing bald spot.

"Princess, you will be a living piece of art when I am finished!" he cried, the words breaking out from the steady chatter he'd kept up for a good twenty minutes. "A symphony of cream and silk! The train will hang like this," he gestured with his hands, sweeping them in a high arc, "so that, when you walk it will not _drag_ behind you- but flutter! Observe," he strode across the room, wriggling his hips. "Swish, swish, swish."

Nina stifled a quiet laugh. Her mother had not been lying when she had said her daughter would have the best- already tens of thousands of zenny had been spent- and just on the materials for her dress!

She had seen the designs, though had chosen to little partake in them- except to turn down one disgusting suggestion of the biggest, poofiest dress she had ever seen, consisting of one hundred metres of Rhapalian silk and complete with several dozen pink bows. This wasn't just because she found the whole ensemble repulsive, but because she would not allow the treasury to fund that amount of money on a dress, and for a wedding she felt like an impostor in. Weddings were supposed to be celebrations of love- by marrying Edmund, she felt like she was committing an act of fraud.

Nina shook her head, dismissing her thoughts. Six days away from the wedding and she was still in turmoil. She'd been a mess for the last week- she knew that now. Only today had she finally managed to pull herself together somewhat. It took all she had to keep her mind clear now, lest she sink back into her slump. She didn't want to face that desperate depression again- it was far too painful.

"Thank you Princess. I'm all done with the measurements," said the dressmaker, winding up his tape. "I'll be back in a few days for the fitting," he grinned a mile and retreated towards the door, only remembering to turn and nod a bow at the last moment. He scuttled out the door, papers askew in his hands.

Nina stepped off the stool, glancing towards Annie, who sat staring at her with adoration.

"I can't wait till I marry…" she sighed.

"It's not all its cracked up to be, Annie," said Nina, opening the door and exiting into the hallway.

_The only good thing about it, _she thought to herself wryly, _is that I don't have any duties. _

Like every other day for the last few weeks, it was sunny. Nina glared up at the clear blue sky in the courtyard, wishing rain, snow, hail- anything!- anything that would be different than that sweltering sun. Even with the swift breeze that blew constantly round Wyndia, there was no relief.

Nina ducked into the shade, and pressed up back up against the stone wall, relishing the coolness beneath her palms.

"You alright there Princess?" called a guard with a familiar voice, as he stood beside the dungeons, just a few metres away.

"Not too bad Joe," said Nina as he began to drift towards her.

"You looking forward to your wedding? Nervous?" he asked her with a grin.

"Nah," she said tiredly. "Not really."

"I thought you girls loved weddings; all the big dresses and new shoes, y'know?"

"You know me Joe- it's not my kind of thing."

Joe was the son of Nina's old nursemaid, and as such, the two had grown up together.

"Hah, good point!" he said. "Still, looks like you're gonna have nice weather for it- a proper summer wedding," he gestured to where two guards sat slumped in the heat.

"I'd rather have rain," said Nina. "This is unseasonable- it's not like we're in August or anything…"

"Well, there's always the afters then- a nice banquet and everything."

"I guess," said Nina. She was trying very hard not to think of the 'afters'.

"I'm gonna be there on duty that day, so I'll make sure nobody gatecrashes you," he said, winking. "Though, since they caught that dragon, I don't expect we'll have any problems."

"Hold on---- they… caught the dragon?" Nina stared at Joe through owlish eyes.

"Yeah, y'know- that Ryu guy."

"Where is he now?" she asked urgently.

"Down in the dungeons, but---"

He didn't even have time to finish. Nina swept off down the stairs in a flash, but was quickly blocked by an apologetic looking guard.

"Sorry Princess," he said. "I'm on strict instructions from the Queen not to let you through."

For a brief moment, the old spark in Nina's eyes returned.

"Let me through this instant," she demanded, the man blinking at her, bewildered. "_I_ _need to see him_." Her pitch rose sharply, on edge.

The man quickly sidestepped to the left. Nina hurried through, and immediately spotted Ryu, who sat in his cell, nestled on the hard concrete. He was unharmed, and Nina breathed a sigh of relief.

Ryu had spent the morning playing go fish with a notorious thief in the adjoining cell, performing his usual trick on him, and attempting to wind up the guard. In this he achieved little success. When he saw Nina, he grinned, directing a loud wolf whistle in her direction.

"Hey, what's a beautiful princess like you doing in a place like this?" he asked.

She crossed her arms, stepping up to the bars. "Very funny, Ryu."

"I thought you said you didn't want to see me again- couldn't stay away, eh?"

"I came to see if you were alright," she said, frowning.

"Well, if I'd known I only had to get arrested to see you, I would have done it _long _ago." Though his tone was jovial there was a little hurt underneath, though not enough for Nina to notice. He smiled again.

"How did you get here?" she asked.

"Your boyfriend picked me up and dropped me here," he said with a grin.

"How can you be so cheerful in this situation?" she asked him, slightly flabbergasted at his flippant attitude. "You've just been arrested and thrown in the dungeons, Ryu."

"As I said before, there are times to be serious and times to be silly."

"And now's a time to be silly?"

"Well I don't see how being serious will help."

"I don't see how being silly will either."

"Yes," he said, "but it might make things more fun." He smiled pleasantly at her.

She raised a hand to her temple. "You really are ridiculous Ryu, and persistent. You do know a normal man would have given up by now, don't you?"

"But I'm not a normal man. I'm a dragon."

"Does that increase persistence stats?"

"Maybe," he said, smiling his cheesy smile.

Maybe it was his words, or that smile that had remained absent for long, but Nina couldn't help herself. She laughed.

"And it's also because I love you."

Nina's laugh died on her lips. Everytime he said that, she felt as though an ice cold knife had been plunged through her heart.

"I told you I was sorry-" she begun.

"Forget it," Ryu said, pain in his voice. "I've heard it before." He paused. "Did you know that you're betrothed to Edmund?" he asked out of the blue.

"I'm what?" she asked, frowning.

"Betrothed. You know, when it's arranged to marry someone when-"

"I know what a betrothal is, Ryu," Nina said softly. "But… nobody ever told me I was betrothed to Edmund. I certainly don't remember it."

"Which is why I'm telling you now. Edmund mentioned it to me- he said you were only a toddler at the time."

There followed a full minute of silence as Nina gazed thoughtfully at the stone wall.

"I suppose I'm not surprised," she sighed at last.

This was not the reaction Ryu was hoping for.

"Odd they never told you though, isn't it?" he prompted.

"They must have thought that I was more likely to do what they wanted if I thought it was voluntary. That being forced to marry, would, naturally, make me rebel against it."

Ryu stared at her. "…You mean you aren't?" he asked.

Nina stared back, and unexpectedly, broke into hysterical laughter that echoed down the stone corridors. This quickly died down.

"I'm tired of rebelling," she said wearily. "All that yelling and screaming- it hurts too much. It's much easier to go with the flow than fight it."

"It's not particularly helpful if you end up in a place you don't want to be, though."

"Maybe so, but I've gone past caring." Her words sounded so dejected that Ryu couldn't help but reach through the bars and touch Nina's hand. She let it lie there, feeling the heat coursing through his palm, and unable to draw away.

"You still have feelings for me, don't you?" Ryu asked, his voice gentle now, and free from any mocking.

"I-" Nina's breath caught in her throat. "No, I don't!" she said, her voice low. The lie sounded weak and feeble even to her. Her body betrayed her real feelings; somehow, she could not bear to remove her hand from his.

More than anything, she wanted- more than air, or water!- to lean across those bars and kiss him. The feeling was so intense that she began to shake, inwardly scolding herself.

_Foolishness! Utter foolishness! What do you expect this to achieve?_

Ryu felt her trembling. "It's okay," he whispered. "It'll be alright- we'll work this out."

A second later, and the spell was broken. Nina retracted her hand, retreating to the far side of the room. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, deliberately, very forcibly going all the way back to the world in which you can talk about ordinary matters.

"So you've been trying to dig the dirt on Edmund, have you?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady. She approached the cell once more, but this time left a small- but highly poignant- space between them.

Disappointed though Ryu was, he answered cheerfully, as though nothing had just transposed between them.

"Me, Rei and Momo went on a reconnaissance trip- found out some pretty interesting stuff… though, not interesting enough. You want to hear?"

"Shoot."

"Seems like he might have a bit of drinking problem," Ryu said, his eyes lighting up hopefully.

"Can't be worse than you," said Nina, her brow raised. Ryu sighed despondently, and tried again.

"We think he might have been up to some dodgy business down south too," he added.

"Yeah, yeah," said Nina, rolling her eyes. "You got anything else?"

"Nope, that's it," he said. "I told you it wasn't much- but I'm dead _sure_ he's up to something."

"You ought to put a lid on that paranoia Ryu- or at least stop dragging Rei and Momo into your affairs. It's not fair on them."

"Actually, they offered to help. They think I'm right, see," he flashed her a dazzling smile.

"Oh…" said Nina, surprised.

_They're all against me then, _she thought miserably. _And I was sure that Momo understood…_

"I'm going to go," she said, irritated.

"Aren't you going to help bust me out?" Ryu's voice was dipped with real surprise. "Knowing your mum, she'll probably lop my head off, or send me to the gallows or something."

Nina laughed cynically. "Mother would never order anything like that. These aren't the dark ages Ryu- we don't execute people now unless we have a _really_ good reason. Most likely my parents are just planning to throw you in here and toss away the key."

"…And that's okay with you then, is it?"

"Stop fussing so much- I'll let you escape. But not until after the wedding. I just know you'll try to pull something, and I'm not going to let you ruin it." She smiled wryly at him.

He counted on his fingers. "That's _six _days Nina. _Six_," he didn't sound amused.

"Sorry Ryu, but I'm not taking any chances. You'll be alright down here. I won't let you starve, I assure you."

"What happened to that naïve little girl who was sure that if she let a pair of crooks out, that they would do no harm?"

"Stop that Ryu- I'm having enough déjà vu here as it is."

She turned to leave, but Ryu caught her by the wrist.

"Once, in this place, you rescued me, and I did the same for you. History is going to repeat itself Nina. I need you, and you know that you need me. I've told you this before, but it's true. I _will_ save you."

For a moment Nina stared at him, her face unfathomable. Then she shook her head, detaching her arm from his hand. "I'm no damsel in distress Ryu; you know that."

She turned her back on him.

"See you later," she said, disappearing out the door. As she reached the courtyard, the heat that had been trapped by the stone cold walls began to rise again, and she wiped a hand over her brow.

"Princess?" she turned to see a page standing directly beside her. "Princess, Lord Frederick is here to see you."

"Frederick ?" said Nina. "Where is he?"

"Waiting in your room, your majesty."

She made her way upstairs to her room, wondering curiously what Frederick wanted as she opened the door.

He was there, sitting on her bed, his face drawn down into worried frown. In his hands was a small but thick book of bound handmade papers.

"Fred…?" she said hesitantly. He looked up at her seriously.

"We have to talk," he said.


	16. Lord Edmund's Journal

A/N- Hullo everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting; I actually had this chapter completed in rough almost a month ago, but I've been ill.

It's Frederick's storytime now, so you'll finally get to find out what I've been hinting since Chapter 2 (though, some of you seem to have almost worked it out already!). I've been having lots of fun writing this; I very much enjoyed writing the latter part of this chapter, as you'll probably be able to see. I'm an unashamed dramatist, I'm afraid. :P

**Recap; **The wedding is only six days away, and preparations are in full swing. In the midst of this, Nina discovers that Ryu has been captured, and despite her attempts to stay away from him, she cannot stop herself from bursting down to the dungeons. There, she finds that the spark between them has not been extinguished, but still refuses Ryu's pleas.

Deciding to rescue him after the wedding, and still unknowing of her mother's plans to execute him, Nina leaves to speak with Frederick.

_A Princess's Duty_

_XVI_

_**Lord Edmund's Journal**_

Nina made her way across the room to perch on the side of her bed, whereupon she eyed Frederick worriedly.

"What's the matter?" she asked him, her vision lighting upon his poignant frown and knotted brow. "Has something happened?"

Frederick ran his hand through his hair, looking uncharacteristically unsettled. "Well, not yet. But if we don't do something soon, it will.

Nina stopped him. "Rewind a little. Is something bad about to happen? Is Edmund okay?"

At this, Frederick gave a loud barking laugh. "Oh yes, _he's_ fine," he said, and he exhaled a long breath, trying to collect together his thoughts. He nudged the handmade book in his lap, and Nina's attention was brought to it for the first time. It was upside down, but she recognised it instantly, having seen it before.

_Savages of the South_

_By Edmund Wyndia_

"My brother's journal," said Frederick unnecessarily, following the line of Nina's sight.

She looked up at him. "What's going on?" she asked.

Raking his hair once more, Frederick's shoulders seemed to slump. "Edmund has made a huge mistake, and I fear we could all be in danger. It's… difficult to explain…" he struggled for words, finally settling with, "Do you remember the stories Edmund told you when you first met him? About the grassrunner tribe in the South?"

"Yes, he showed me all the things he bought back- rooms filled with gold. It was ridiculous."

Frederick nodded as though he thought so. "I'm glad he showed you that—it'll make this easier to explain. You see, Ed didn't exactly tell everyone the truth about what happened there… I'm afraid this is going to take a while." He folded his legs underneath him and settled back against the bed post, as though making himself comfortable for a long story.

"A few months ago-" he began, "Ed and his men set out southwards towards the Raes- that's the huge chain of mountains you can see in the southern hemisphere. People don't venture that way often, since they make perilous climbing. Anyway, somehow Edmund managed to get over them alright, as I'm sure he told you, and went off looking for gold. He found plenty of it. The land beyond the mountains is known as Shania, and it's rich with minerals. The only people who live there are the grassrunners, and they're _loaded_ with gold and gems."

Frederick perused through his brother's journal until he came to a particular passage. He began to read; "'The grassrunners are a clan that possess canine features, though they are primarily humanoid. Typically they wear long flowing robes made of simple materials, and are devoted in worship to their gods. They wear an abundance of gems, rings and other jewellery.'" There was an illustration beside this passage, featuring a grassrunner man in his robes. Frederick snapped the book shut.

"Well, of course Ed had a field day. They traded and traded and traded, and got plenty too, since tobacco is rare in those parts. Edmund and his explorers went from settlement to settlement trading, and ended up in their holy land; Shuwa.

"Now, the grassrunners are a peaceful people; they worship nature and their god is the sky-god Nihuel, but of course no tribe can be wholly good… some thieves found out about the rich foreigners, and when Edmund and his men were sleeping, they crept into the camp and robbed them."

Frederick paused, as if not wanting to go on; ashamed of what had come next.

"When they awoke and found out what happened, they were furious. The thieves had long disappeared, and thinking they must have come from the nearby village…" Frederick faltered, and unable to find his own words, flipped back through the journal. "'We entered took back what they stole.'… well, that's what he says, but from what I've found out…they raided and pillaged the place. There was no proof that the thieves were there, and Edmund ransacked the holiest settlement in all of Shania! They just walked in and took everything- into people's houses, snatching jewellery from their drawers."

Nina stared at Frederick, dumbstruck. "You can't be serious…?" she said.

"I wish I was," said Frederick. "And that's not even the worst of it, too." He leapt from the bed, and began to pace the room as he spoke, his features strained. "The grassrunners- they're pacifists- but it got so bad that fighting broke out. And because Edmund thought the whole community had been behind the robbery- jealous of course!- he had no qualms about fighting peaceful priests. In the confusion, some of his men broke into the temples and stripped them, stealing all their holiest relics. Eventually, they were driven off and fled with their treasure, though it wasn't without injury on either side."

Nina, who had listened to this story with mounting disgust, anger burning in her veins, now cried out, "What was he thinking! Attacking a village- raiding artefacts. It's an act of war! I've never heard of something so irresponsible. The people there… the Shanians, they weren't hurt too badly, were they?"

"None of the men will say. Half of them are convinced they were right, and the others are too ashamed to speak. But it's that which worries me…"

"And what about Edmund?"

"Oh, he thinks he was completely right- he ordered the raid, after all. He can't seem to see the difference between the robbers and the villagers, even if they weren't the ones who did it. To him, one grassrunner is the same as the next. He's being so block-headed on this that he'll refuse to listen to me."

Fuming, Nina sat thinking about what her fiancée had done. And then, abruptly, she remembered why Frederick had come to her in the first place. "Fred, you said earlier we were in danger…" she reminded him, as he continued to pace the expanse of the room.

He stopped before her, looking pained. "About a week ago," he said, "a grassrunner man came from Shania to the estate looking for Edmund. He was out… so I saw him instead. He told me he was a Shuwan priest. He also said that our kingdom had stolen their sacred crystal chalice, their most precious relic. They could forgive the other crimes of the winged explorers, he said, but this was inexcusable- without it, their sky-ceremonies to Nihuel would be pointless.

"From what I came to understand later, this chalice- this most important relic- had been stripped from the temples with the rest, and thrown into a sack like a common goblet. But at that point, I knew nothing of this- I didn't understand what he meant. Of course, I knew Ed had been in the South, and I knew he'd given them a bad deal, but I didn't realise he'd been out raiding villages.

"When the man saw I didn't understand, I think he must have thought I was taking the mick. He got angry, and then…" Frederick paused. "He said to me, something like, 'If the chalice is not returned to us by the full moon, we shall come to retrieve it.' His meaning was quite clear—war."

Nina could barely believe her ears. "War?" she said, aghast. "Then why ever hasn't Edmund given it back? Has he?"

Frederick laughed hollowly. "Of course not. His excuse is that he thinks they're bluffing. He knows the grassrunners don't like fighting, and they don't often cross the mountains. Even if they do come, he thinks it'll amount to little- their pacifism has picked them up a reputation as pushovers. Ed's sure that it's an empty threat. Personally, I think he's just trying to convince himself; he's afraid if he gives the chalice back they'll ask for the rest too. I'm sure he's got quite a pretty penny for all the treasure he 'acquired' down south.

"But I'm not so sure. I think that the fact that one of them crossed the mountains to warn us like this shows they're serious. And I fear that this is the only warning we're going to get." Frederick moved over towards the open door to where the swift breeze rustled through, staring unseeingly at the landscape below.

"I've been trying for days to get people to believe me, but they won't listen. And maybe it is just me being paranoid, but I don't think so. Something _feels_ different- I can sense danger in the wind." The breeze whipped around his face, his golden hair waving in the air.

"They say true Wyndians can read the wind," said Nina, "and even if that weren't true, I think you're right Fred. This seems serious."

Frederick looked back at her, his face breaking into relief. "I'd thought you might understand," he said. "You at least don't seem to be completely swept up in this wedding madness. Nobody can think of anything else. Added to that, the aristocrats don't want to budge- they're too greedy, and are looking forward to when Edmund auctions his hoard too much. They don't care whether we go to war or not."

Nina was filled with the overwhelming urge to rush to Edmund and shake some sense into him. _This _certainly wasn't the same story he had told her.

"Have you told my father about this yet?" she asked.

"Not yet. I thought my story would have more weight if I could rally some support- though, I've had little luck. I didn't know whether I'd be able to convince you, so I had a talk with your friends Rei and Momo."

"You spoke to Rei and Momo?"

"So that they could try to speak to you, if you didn't believe me. They… told me what's been going on too. I didn't realise it was such a mess." Suddenly, his eyes were filled with admiration and sympathy. "I never understood what you were going through. To leave someone you love because you have to, and to marry someone else- it's pretty courageous."

Nina, meanwhile, was thinking about what Edmund had done. "Oh I don't know," she said darkly, "sounds like a pretty stupid idea to me now." She thought of Ryu, sitting alone in his cell, and sighed. "Let's go see my father- I'll help you explain it to him. I'm sure he'll understand."

x

In the extravagant drapery of the sitting room, Nina and Frederick explained to the king of Wyndia what had happened. He listened calmly to their tale, and when they were finished, nodded briskly and called over the captain of the guards and several other important looking men.

"I think you may be right," he said to Nina and Frederick. "The grassrunners do not cross the mountains for no reason. They haven't been seen in this part of the world for generations…" he turned to the man beside him, an ancient scholar with his arms full of rolled parchment and maps. "When is the next full moon?"

The man slowly knelt down by the table and unfurled a complicated map of the stars. He made a few quick calculations with a quill tucked behind his ear, and looked up at the king. "five days, milord."

To a smart man in uniform, the King said briefly, "I'd like the amount of guards posted on the southern battlements increased by forty percent, and I want the third regiment mobilised and ready for action."

"Just the third, your majesty?" asked Frederick with a frown. "Surely…?

"The third regiment will be plenty," said the King. "I don't want the people to worry, and the grassrunners shouldn't prove that hard a challenge."

"But… what if we just returned their chalice?" asked Nina, who could not understand why this path of thought had not been explored. "There really is no need to fight…"

"Not an option, I'm afraid," said the King, with a shake of the head. "All the official envoys and messengers are away delivering the wedding invitations. They won't be back in time, even to meet the Shanians on their way here. You should have come to me earlier, Frederick," he directed his eyes to his nephew, and Frederick visibly seemed to wilt.

"Don't look so abashed; you won't be punished," added the King, who now looked upon him more kindly. "You're just a boy- it is Edmund who should have come to me." In this sentence, he left much unsaid; it was clear that he would be having words with his _other _nephew.

"But-" said Nina, "surely there's _someone_ who could go…? _I_ could."

For the last few minutes, the Queen had been lurking silently in the doorway eavesdropping, drawn by the tense atmosphere in the room and her husband's voice. But when Nina said this, she could no longer remain quiet.

"Certainly not!" she exclaimed, striding into the room. "The wedding is only in a few short days! You're needed _here_."

If these words were spoken by her father, Nina perhaps might have not grown angry. But mixed with her mother's voice- which itself could sometimes be enough to set her off in the past- fire rose in her eyes, as the seal on Nina's lethargy snapped and broke.

"Wyndia is in danger!" she shouted, her hands clenching into fists. "What does a stupid _wedding_ matter? I could ride out there right now, give them their stupid chalice back, and there would be no blood spilt. I just don't want to see anybody hurt…!" her voice trembled, and the King looked at his daughter with understanding. Quietly, his general and staff slipped out of the room, unnoticed.

"I know you hate the idea of our people being in danger," he said, "but this wedding is just as important. I know you probably don't realise it Nina, but a wedding is a demonstration of the kingdom's stability- and the diplomatic ties we will make with our guests will be invaluable. It's more important than a little skirmish with a few grassrunners."

Whatever his intent, this was the wrong thing to say, as the King soon learnt.

"More important than lives, you mean?" she said, angry again. "Well if I can't go, send someone else! There are plenty of trustworthy men here."

"But none are official envoys," he said, now sighing tiredly. "If we send them it would give the wrong impression. The other lands would see it as an act of desperation- and the Shanians would think us weak."

"Impressions? Impressions?" Nina exclaimed, her voice now carrying a note of desperation. "_What does it matter?_"

In one, ringing moment, which echoed hauntingly in her mind, Ryu's words returned to her.

_If I don't stop you, you'll force yourself to marry a man you don't love- and for what? Status! Respect! Just so you'll look good in society's eyes, because of some stupid predetermined social values!_

"I'll go!" she said, her eyes screwed up tight with pain. "Postpone the wedding, or even better, cancel it! Father, after what Edmund has done, how can you even suggest that this wedding go ahead? I'm not just talking about putting us in danger- what he did to those poor grassrunners was terrible. Surely he's shown he's not fit to be a king." In her anger, these words left Nina's mouth without a second's thought. A moment later, she realised they were true.

The King, meanwhile, looked very unhappy that she had to say this.

"Nina… it's too late now. The wedding invitations are on their way. If you changed your mind now, we'd be a laughing stock."

"Yeah, like I ever had a choice from the beginning," muttered Nina, her words dripping with sarcasm as she thought about the betrothal her father had done everything in his power to cover up. When the King realised what she meant, he began to look very uncomfortable.

"Ah, so you found out about that?" he said, shifting awkwardly. "I suppose you see now, however, why it must happen."

Nina's voice dropped low, almost desperate. "Father, would… would you have forced me to marry him, even if I refused in the beginning?"

The King shook his head, looking sad. His voice lost its formal tone, and for the first time in several weeks, he spoke to her like father to daughter. "You know I hate to make you unhappy Nina," he said, as though pleading. "It's why I introduced you to those other suitors first. I had thought perhaps that Edmund was unsuitable… he was away so often- and I thought it would make you sad. Both my brother and his wife are dead-" his eyes shifted uncomfortably to Frederick, who glanced away. "So… there was little pressure to honour the agreement. Yes, I asked Edmund to be your suitor, but I would have never have forced you to marry him if you strongly objected. I wasn't lying to you when I said the choice was yours." He paused. "But now you've made your decision, Nina, you must follow through. I… cannot let you change your mind. Please don't make this difficult- you know I don't want to hurt you."

Nina stood still, considering. Her father was right- it had been her decision. And yet… what Frederick had told her had changed everything. The underlying irritation she felt for Edmund had bubbled over into dislike and distaste. If he was apologetic about what he had done, it would have been a different matter. But this uncaring attitude… how could she ever come to love that?

Unwittingly, an image of Ryu bloomed again in her mind, and she began to understand the extent to which she had hurt him.

_He was right the whole time…about Edmund, about society- about everything! Ryu, how can I ask you to forgive me?_

Tears welled in her eyes, but she pushed them away. She strode past Frederick towards her father, meeting his eyes unflinchingly.

"What if I refuse?"

The King stared back, his face steely, but his eyes pools full with the depth of the sorrow he felt.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you," he said softly.

The Queen's agitation, which she had fought to keep controlled, finally burst over. "How can you be so selfish?" she spat. "We didn't raise you to be this way! This was _your_ decision Nina!

Nina watched her evenly. "If the last few weeks have taught me anything, it's that I _am _selfish. More selfish than anybody! Which is why …why I have to rectify this. Edmund on the throne would not help Wyndia. I know he doesn't understand what he's done, but that should be a good indication of what he's like!...Also, I don't want to hurt _him_ anymore…" This last sentence was spoken in a whisper, and only Frederick, who stood close by her, heard it.

The King sighed a long heavy sigh. "I know what Edmund has done goes against your morals, but everyone makes mistakes. You mustn't hate him for this."

Nina laughed mirthlessly. "The difference is that some people can accept their mistakes."

The King shrugged his shoulders. "What else can I say? I'm not going to change my mind on this. Nina, the fact of the matter is that you must marry him. I would like your support, but whether I have it or not, this wedding _will_ go ahead."

"So whether I like it or not, huh?" said Nina, inclining her head with a wry smile.

Her father smiled at her sadly. "You know I don't want it this way."

For a moment, she said nothing. Then she clenched her hands, nails digging into her fists and yelled, "Fine!"

She hesitated, and then stalked from the room, Frederick tailing her. She flew into her room, almost slamming the door in his face.

She stomped to the dresser, her blood pounding and hands shaking with rage. She looked upon the order that lay before her; necklaces laid out in their cases, a silver hairbrush, earrings, hair ornaments- all presents from Edmund.

_All useless! Stupid trinkets to ensnare a silly girl's heart! The silliest little girl of all; me! _

With one fluid motion, she brought her hand across the dresser, jewellery crashing to the floor. Cases snapped open, and a glass swan paperweight smashed, its head rolling across the floor to her feet. Nina's eyes fixed upon the moonstone necklace Edmund had given her in the abandoned shop; and her thoughts turned to how he had made her close her eyes as his nimble hands tied the clasp. How helpless she had felt, and how vulnerable.

_I've had my eyes closed this whole time._

The sound of something shattering as a million things happened at once; how the moonstone necklace soared, how it crashed and spluttered against the wall, how it had broke into its hundred different components.

Gems fell like rain. Moonstones fell to the earth. Sapphires shattered.

Frederick touched her shoulder, his face frightened. "Nina… are you alright?"

"No!" she said shrilly. "No, I'm not!"

Now, the haze had cleared. For the first time, amongst the wreckage of her own possessions, the remains of royalty, Nina saw, fully, clearly, the pen she had backed into of her own volition.

The anger was mostly for herself.

* * *


	17. Waiting for War?

**A/N- **Thanks for the sympathy everyone. I'm all recovered now- which means I can get back to some serious storywriting. Woo-hoo! Here's chapter 17.

**Recap- **Nina finally learns what happened down in the south; that Edmund and his explorers raided a grassrunner village, and stole their holy crystal chalice. Now, the grassrunners are threatening war, and their messenger tells Frederick that they will arrive with the full moon.

Nina and Frederick go to the King, who is concerned by this, but refuses to return the chalice to the grassrunners before the wedding. Nina, infuriated, tells her father that she no longer wishes to marry Edmund, but is told that she has no choice. At last, she realises what she has done to herself- and that she can do nothing about it.

_A Princess's Duty_

_XVII_

_**Waiting for War?**_

In the glittering high-domed hall, Nina stood by the alter, her white gloved hands in Edmund's.

"-And thus, before the God of Wind, I name you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Tenderly, Edmund lifted Nina's streaming veil, and moved forward to kiss her. However, standing on her tangled train, Nina tripped and fell forward, and swiftly they both found themselves tangled on the ground.

"Whoops," said Nina, pleased.

"Nina!" exclaimed Sheila, striding through the empty hall as they picked themselves off the floor, Edmund rubbing his arm. The half dozen staff sat in the gilded chairs stifled laughs. "You need to watch what you're doing," she said, like a teacher to an awkward child who refuses to understand. "What do you think will happen if you do that during the real thing?"

Indeed, it was true. The wedding was still a day away; this was the final dress rehearsal. The sparkling dome, the only building in the castle large enough to hold all Wyndia's citizens, was empty- except for the few snickering observers come to watch. These were very busy at present; trying very hard not to laugh.

"It's not my fault the train's so long," said Nina matter-of-factly. Sheila shook her head in exasperation, and returned to her seat without a word.

"Uh, then…" murmured the soft-spoken priest in his vestments, "let's continue…"

The plan at present consisted as this; after the bridal rituals the wedding procession would take place in the late afternoon. It would ride through Wyndia and up to the castle steps. The procession would then continue on foot to the dome, where the ceremony would be performed at sunset. The moment they left the hall, twelve dozen snowy doves would be released; after that, it would be off to the banquet hall.

It was to be an extravagant affair. The whole of Wyndia had been draped in the royal colours, and flowers had been garlanded over every door, post and rail. The city was alive with colour. It bustled with increasing excitement as the day drew near; every single room and lodging had been filled, and a sea of tents had been set outside the city; people from around the world come to watch the spectacle. Nina saw her own face plastered everywhere. Musicians had been brought from across the land, and the city was now liable to burst into spontaneous music.

Nina did not like to think about the cost of it all. Even her dress, which she wore now for the rehearsal, had cost tens of thousands of zenny. Made from folds of crisp white silk, hemmed with gold, the bodice hugged tight to her like a second skin. The skirt flared out to her knees, and at the back, sank down to the floor in waves, leading to the train which splayed out behind her like an oyster shell. Her high-stepping boots reached to her knees, the sleeves were billowing, and her hands were encapsulated in long silk gloves, on which fitted her engagement ring. The whole ensemble was finished by a glittering veil lined with gold roses that shimmered round her head like a halo. Dressed, and silhouetted by her wings, people commented that she looked angelic- though, others added, she would look even better with a smile.

It would be a lie to say that she had not been amazed- and entranced- by the proceedings, as had the rest of Wyndia. Such splendour had not been seen since the King's coronation.

On the other hand… Nina's heart was heavier than ever, and today had been awaited with almost as much agitation as would be due the wedding itself. Today was the day of the full moon- the day the Shanians would arrive.

And yet… thought Nina, glancing out the great windows facing down into the town, they had not yet come. The sky was tinged yellow, the sun creeping lower in the horizon; the day was almost at an end. She wondered, absently, if they were planning to launch a night attack. This would go against what she knew of the grassrunners, but if they didn't come, she would just have to accept that Frederick was wrong. Already the boy was tense, preparing himself to face his brother's mockery.

Speaking of which… she realised Edmund was smiling at her. She regarded him coldly, and he glanced away, looking bemused. Nina had made the decision not to speak about Edmund about the grassrunners; if she did, she knew that she would not be able to stop, and would probably end up knocking him out again. Instead, she gave him her most haughty treatment, and let him make of it what he liked.

"Right, positions everybody! From the top!" cried her mother-chorographer, and she trudged back to the end of the hall, feeling like an actor in a play.

x

In the dungeons, Rei and Momo arrived to rescue Ryu.

"It wasn't so easy getting in this time," said Momo, decked in a guard's stolen face. "Edmund must have told how we were getting around, because you have to pass through a null-magic field to get in now. If Honey hadn't made a distraction, we would have been caught." At this, the little robot hopped out from Momo's armour, and beeped appreciatively. Momo knelt down and petted him with a motherly smile.

Rei rummaged through the desk, eventually drawing out a thick ring of keys. He moved towards the lock. But, to his surprise, Ryu stopped him.

"You'd rather stay here?" Rei asked, eyebrows raised.

Ryu hadn't spent his time in the dungeons unproductively. "Tomorrow," he said, raising a finger.

"You do realise that's the wedding, yeah?" asked Rei.

"Oh yes. But I do have a plan."

"They're selling mugs with Nina's face in the town," said Momo absently, as she fiddled with a panel on the back of Honey.

Rei glanced around the dungeon, and as he did so, he noticed something. The other prisoners were watching them curiously- but there was something else there too. He realised they were looking at Ryu in the same way men watch their leader.

"What exactly are you planning…?" he asked.

"Me and the boys have got a little something planned," Ryu said, grinning.

"Ah," said Rei, understanding dawning on his face. "Gotcha."

"You're not giving up then?" said Momo, looking up from Honey.

"Nina's resolve is weakening," said Ryu. "I can tell. Especially since she found out about Edmund- she came to me to rage about it." He smiled cheerfully, and this time, it was a smile free from joke. "I really think I have a chance now."

"Can we hear this plan?" asked Rei. "Anything we can do?"

Ryu pressed his fingers together, thoughtful. "Actually, I think there is…"

x

On the battlements, Frederick stood solidly, watching like a hawk the lands to the south. They lay empty, the plains stretching out to the horizon, the little path that was Eggnock Road shrinking into a trickle. A frown was set onto his face, as if etched there. It was twilight; the sun had set, but still the town was alive. Lamps had been lit, and the people still flittered about; the open air market that had sprung up still seemed to be going. The pub must be doing a roaring trade.

All of a sudden, as he was taking this in, a young woman stepped into the space beside him. Nina pulled down her ornate cloak hood to reveal herself. Frederick looked surprised.

"I didn't think they'd let you out of sight for a second," he said.

"I told them I needed some air," she said with a small smile. "Mother is trying to keep me sweet right now- she wouldn't refuse me that."

They both stared forward to the horizon, the ruffling breeze not bothering them in the warm summer night air.

"Looks like they're not coming," said Nina, her words coming out like a sigh.

"I guess not," said Frederick.

"It's good though," Nina turned to him, brightening a little. "You'll have time to give them their cup back now."

"Yes, I guess so," he smiled and laughed. "Though, I'm not looking forward to seeing Edmund. 'I told you so--!'"

"Still, you were right to tell Father. Precautions are necessary. You shouldn't feel so guilty." She paused. "Now we just have to try and get the chalice back off him."

Soon after their meeting with him, the King had had the chalice retrieved from Edmund's treasure, and had it locked up in his study, as if divining Nina's thoughts. She had tested the security, but found it impenetrable; it hadn't been a flimsy safe he had used, and it was under guard at all times. Nina still couldn't understand his decision not to send an ordinary messenger; Momo, whose ancestors were kin with the Shanians some hundreds of years ago, would have been a prime candidate. It further hardened her resolve that, when she was queen, things were going to change.

"He'll give it to us- he doesn't particularly want to fight, either," said Frederick. "I just wish I'd got the chalice before we went to him. I could have hidden it somewhere in the castle." Both Frederick and Edmund were staying in rooms in the castle now, while the preparations were taking place. Another room, much larger and grander than her was being prepared- fit for a bride and a bridegroom. They had tried to show her it, but she wasn't interested; she didn't want to think about _that_ yet.

After a few more moments of quiet, words began to tumble from Nina's mouth. She could not even look at Frederick while she said them. "Even though- of course I didn't want the Shanians to come- I think… I think a small part of me _wanted_ them to—so that the wedding would have to be delayed… does that make me a bad person?"

Frederick put a hand on Nina's shoulder. "You're dreading it that much?"

"I can't think about anything else…" she spoke in a low voice.

"If it's any consolation, I've put up with Edmund all my life and I'm still alive." He grinned at her, weakly.

"To be alive…" she murmured. "Perhaps it is selfish to ask for more than that." She suddenly laughed. "To think; people in the world are dying, and I am, despairing because I don't want to be married!"

"Everyone wants to be happy. You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting that, you know."

She leant forward on the stone wall, pressing her face against the warm rock. "And he said he loved me too… I'm an awful person, Fred." Frederick was not naïve enough to think that it was Edmund she spoke of.

"You had divided loyalties; one had to lose out."

"Yes, but…" she was tired of people making excuses for her. "But _I_ loved him, and I still pushed him away. I'm just an idiot, that's all."

Frederick looked her straight in the eye. "Then why aren't you with him now?"

"What?"

"If you know your decision was wrong, why are you still going through with it? Run away with him."

Nina searched his features for sarcasm; she found none. "I can't do that!" she said.

"Well why not?"

"I'd be abandoning my family, my people, everything! It's not worth it for one man. I know I'd regret it too, in the end. I wouldn't be able to return to Wyndia after something like that."

"He smiled at her. "There you are then; stop angsting. You're not as selfish as you think you are."

Nina said nothing, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Everything has sacrifices… you just have to weigh up what you want the most, and what's most important to you. And if you're walking down the aisle, and you realise that you can't do it; that Ryu is more important to you, then just turn around and run to him. I'm not trying to preach- I know my brother's not the best catch in the world. But you have to make a decision, for better or for worse. Otherwise you'll hate yourself forever for sitting back and letting everything happen _to_ you."

"When did you get so sensible, Fred?" said Nina, both amused- and impressed- that she was being given love advice by a fifteen year old boy.

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't always do things because people want you to. It's your life, and you've got to live it. I won't think any worse of you if you run away with him."

"Thanks Fred, that means a lot to me," she looked at him, appraising his features. "It's too bad you're not a few years older- I shouldn't have minded marrying you so much." Frederick's face flushed a bright tomato red.

"Uh…"

She smiled and laughed, clapping him on the back. "I'm kidding," she said. "I'll go back in now- they'll be missing me. I still have some bridal rituals left to go through."

"Bridal rituals?" he asked curiously.

"Anointing me with warm olive oil- that sort of thing."

"Oh, I see. Women stuff." His cheeks flushed again, and he rubbed at his face embarrassedly.

On her way back up the steps, she spotted Lyn standing by the doorway and waiting for her. The stars were out now, shining down from above her. Tomorrow would change her life forever, she thought, but all the same, now, she felt a little bit better.


	18. Joy to the Bride!

**A/N; **Bonjour! I took a short break to finish off an original novel I've been working on alongside of this, and it is now finished! Therefore, here is chapter 18! After this chapter, there will be two more, an then an epilogue. We're almost finished, folks!

Oh! I drew some fanart for this story (fanart for a fanficion, haha!) It's of Nina in her wedding dress. Heh, what can I say? I'm a girl. Though it has no real importance to the story, I wanted to draw it. If you fancy checking it out, it's in the 'story fanart' section of my profile. :)

Thanks again for the lovely reviews everyone.

**Recap; **The day of the wedding dawns, the day Nina has been dreading. Both Momo and Rei have agreed to help Ryu with his secret plan; but just what he up to?

_A Princess's Duty_

_XVIII_

_**Joy to the Bride!**_

Nina was dreaming. In her soft dream world, she sat on a grassy knoll, the sun shining down on her, white clouds like cotton wool drifting across the sky, the breeze ruffling her hair. Around her, the green hills and valleys stretched on forever.

She was not alone. Ryu sat beside her, her hand in his. He turned to her, and smiled softly.

"I love you," she said, taking his strong jaw in her hand, leaning across to kiss him.

"I love you too. Stay with me," he said, and he kissed her gently.

Nina closed her eyes, her fingers tangling in Ryu's hair. When she opened them, Ryu was gone, Edmund in his place. She did not register the difference.

"Nina…" Edmund whispered, stroking her cheek.

"Edmund," she murmured back, smiling at him. Their lips met, and they kissed. She slid herself into his lap, slinging her arms around his neck. He held onto her tightly.

"Mummy! Daddy!"

Two small children ran towards them, laughing. They threw themselves at Nina, burying themselves in her skirts.

"Careful now," she said, stroking the top of the little boy's head. His fine tawny hair was soft, like strands of pure silk.

Then- the scene froze- and shattered.

The sky was a deep pulsing red, and Nina looked down at herself from the sky as she nuzzled her two children.

"No!" she cried, as the other Nina exchanged a playful peck with Edmund. "This isn't what I wanted!" She tore at her hair, and beat her wings, flying furiously in the other direction.

From around her in the clouds, her ancestors looked on at her, their lovely white wings splayed out in mocking.

"Selfish!" they shrieked at her, sounding like harpies. "Selfish! Selfish! Selfish!"

Abruptly, out of no where, she came face to face with her girl her own age, with her own face, but who was subtly different. She looked upon Nina without pity.

"You only think about yourself, don't you?" she hissed. "Doesn't anyone else matter?"

Nina shook her head furiously. "But what about what _I_ want?" she asked, clutching a hand to her heart.

The girl shook her head sadly, as if disappointed. She snapped her fingers.

Though Nina's wings continued to beat, they no longer had any lift. She fell, down and down. Not just to the ground, but through, falling forever.

She woke with a start. Her heart pounded erratically in her chest, and she felt as though she had crash landed in her bed. She sat up, and saw that her cover was on the floor, the sheet rumpled and creased. She ran a hand through her hair; it was damp with sweat.

Completely awake now, she slid out of bed and shrugged off the nightgown that clung to her, pulling on the simple golden robe that would be used for the ceremonies that morning. It was barely dawn, but she could hear noises already; bands, trumpets, the sounds of anticipation. She felt a long shiver run through her.

Wandering to the door she pulled back her curtains and blinked. Typical; it was sunny. Though the sun was low, the day was already bright, promising a gorgeous day. There wasn't a cloud in sight.

However, there was something in the air, almost a tension… perhaps a storm was brewing? She hoped so. It would be a much more fitting backdrop to a wedding born of betrayal and lies.

Stepping out onto the balcony she surveyed her kingdom. Yes, certainly there was an excitement in the air. Maybe she'd been wrong about the storm. The atmosphere was tense with restless excitement.

_I wish I could feel the same way, _she thought sullenly. _What a dream to have on my wedding day!_

The noises grew louder below, and suddenly Nina saw people gesturing her way, cheering.

"Joy to the bride!" they sung, crying out the ritual chant. "Joy to the bride!"

x

"Do up my buttons Fred, I can't reach." Frederick scowled, and approached Edmund from behind, reaching up to pop the button through his vest angrily.

"I'm not your maid, you know," he grumbled.

Edmund turned his head over his shoulder and smiled.

"Now, now Fred. It's my wedding day. You must be nice to me." He shrugged on the jacket, white, with a gold trim.

"I'll give you a good kick up the bum, more like," Frederick mumbled, tying Edmund's sash.

"By the way," said Edmund suddenly, sounding a little smug, "I was right, wasn't I? The King told me those grassrunners never turned up. I told you that you didn't need to worry."

Frederick pulled his sash tight- much tighter than was necessary. Edmund didn't flinch.

"They could still show up, you know," he said.

"They won't," said Edmund, waving the idea away with his hand. "Anyway, even if they do, the first regiment is still on patrol- Wyndia's in no danger. I really don't know why you're getting your knickers in a twist about a few run-away dogs."

Edmund moved away, examining himself in a scale length mirror, adjusting his suit. Frederick threw himself down into a chair.

"You don't deserve her, you know," he said.

"Huh?"

"Nina."

"Don't tell me _you're_ jealous Fred- she's too old for you."

"I'm not jealous," he grumbled irritably. "I just think you should treat her right, that's all."

Edmund turned to her brother, stunned. "Did she tell you I wasn't treating her right? I've given her all the customary gifts and plenty of compliments…" he looked genuinely confused.

"That wasn't what I meant," Frederick sighed. His elbow poised on the armrest, he put his head in his hand, and continued quietly watching Edmund dress.

x

Though a lavish breakfast had been laid out, Nina barely ate anything. She sat at the table with a glass of orange juice, staring out at all the delicious food, and not wanting to eat any of it. She felt vaguely queasy.

"Now dear, you must eat something," Sheila said kindly from beside her. "You look awfully peaky." She was already dressed for the day, and wore obnoxiously large sapphire earrings that clashed when she spoke.

"I'm not hungry."

"Just a little something then. We don't want you passing out during the ceremony," she teased.

Nina snatched a piece of toast onto her plate just to quieten her.

_Of course, it's only the wedding that _she_ cares about, _Nina thought, ripping a chunk out of the toasted bread with her teeth. _I doubt she'd care otherwise. _

"Small bites Nina. Eating like that is unladylike."

Stubbornly, Nina ignored her. Even though it was just bread, it tasted sour.

Seconds ticked by, and the day dragged on, Nina feeling queasier and queasier. It was a feeling that wasn't dissimilar to stage fright.

If she hadn't been so nervous, she suspected she would have been bored out of her mind. All morning tedious bridal rituals took place, becoming more and more repetitious. No more interesting was the fitting of the dress. It was so elaborately designed that it took several hours to fit, and then as much time again was spent braiding her hair and applying the expensive creams and make-up.

She was so used to this awful heart-pounding tedium, that when they finished she was quite shocked. Had they really already finished? But no, that meant she only had an hour left! No matter how boring it was, she would have gladly sat through it for several years. How had the minutes so easily slipped by?

Her time was up.

The fitter stood back to admire his handiwork with the maids and her mother. They gazed upon her like she was a piece of art, and exchanged a long sigh.

"You look wonderful, Princess," said Annie dreamily.

"Beautiful," the fitter was crooning.

Her mother approached, a large oval mirror in her hands. "Do you want to see?" she asked, her face displaying the same enrapturement that could be read on all the other faces in the room.

"No thanks," croaked Nina, who couldn't bear to look. She was sure the sight would only make her feel sicker.

Sheila frowned, and Nina was made aware that her mother had not asked her a question. She glanced at the mirror quickly, looking away before she could really see anything.

"Very nice," she said swiftly.

Before Sheila could say anything further, someone pounded on the door, and entered with a bow.

"Your highnesses, the procession is all prepared. The King and Lord Edmund are waiting."

Sheila's face lit up once more, and she took hold of Nina's gloved arm.

"Let's go," she said excitedly, and pulled Nina down the stairs, dragging her when she tried to hang back.

The open topped carriage waited outside the city gates. It was gilded with gold and garlanded in flowers, led by two snow-white mares. The whole thing looked as though it had been dragged screaming from a fairy tale, Nina thought sickeningly.

Edmund was already waiting inside. She almost tripped on her long train, and he offered her a hand as she stepped up into it. This she did her best to ignore. Her mother and father climbed gracefully into the back behind the couple. All around her, people were cheering.

Trumpets blared, and the two horses set off at a slow canter. They passed under the gate, and the noise intensified. Hundreds of faces peered at her from every direction, looking down at her from every window. Streamers and confetti fell like rain upon the ground. She knew it was for her they cheered; to most of them, Edmund was a nobody. It was for their princess that they celebrated.

The cheering began to gain direction, and now words were tangible.

"---joy--"

"-bride!"

And then, synchronised, a great howling cheer of; "Joy to the bride!"

Nina smiled weakly, and drew her shining veil over her face.

Deep within the sea of people, Rei and Momo shoved through the crowd, chasing the carriage on its path towards the towering castle. Rei appeared as a foreign nobleman. Momo, dressed in furs, was his rich wife. They pushed through the complaining crowd until they came to a smartly dressed official with a clipboard. They quickly composed themselves, Rei tugging at his top and tails.

"Names," instructed the man, looking both overwhelmed and harassed. Behind them, people in the queue they'd jumped burst out into complaints.

Rei wrapped a hand round Momo's waist.

"My name is Lord Ridgeway of Dauna. This is my wife, the Lady Sarah." Into his voice he mustered as much pomposity as he could manage. The man rolled his eyes and flipped through his papers.

"That's fine. Seats 26 and 27A."

They passed through the archway into the castle, Rei grinning. That is- until Momo flicked his hand from off around her waist. He let his features sag comically, and Momo hit him.

"We have work to do," she reminded him, as they disappeared down a narrow dark corridor, away from the flow of people. She unfolded a map from her handbag, and consulted it intently. "This is the place," she said finally, tucking it away. She noticed Rei was checking his twin knives, unbuckling the holders, so he could withdraw more quickly.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"If this all goes to plan, there's going to be trouble," he said, shaking his head. "And if it doesn't, it's my guess that there's going to be a bucketful of it anyway. You ought to prepare."

"Oh, don't worry about me," she said, winking. "I'm all set."

Rei's face creased in worry as the minutes ticked by. He glanced down towards the antechamber of the dome. "I just hope we can time this right. Where _is_ he?"

"Ah!" cried Momo. "There!" She pointed to where, alone, Edmund was making his way to the doors of the dome. He stopped before them, and took a deep breath, seeming to be mentally preparing himself. The chamber was empty apart from them; the wedding guests were now all inside, and the guards were manning the front entrance.

Momo smiled- everything was going to plan. She ran forward out of their hiding place, and clasped Edmund's arm.

"Why, Lord Edmund, sir! Congratulations! It's such a pleasure meeting you, I've heard so much about you!" she babbled, pulling him away from the doors.

"I'm sorry, I really have to go-" Edmund said urgently, as she continued to chatter over the top of him. "—I'm supposed to be getting married right now-!"

Rei joined her, helping tug the unwilling prince down the hallway, as he attempted to pull out of their grip.

"-an honour to meet you sir, a true honour. You must see our wedding present-"

"No really- I have to go. This is absurd-"

Momo opened the door to an innocuous looking broom cupboard, Edmund still pulling away from them. He was getting angry now.

"Let go of me! I do insist-"

He barely saw what hit him. Only at the last moment did he catch a glimpse of the bazooka, before Momo brought it crashing down on his head.


	19. The Wedding

**A/N**- This is it folks- the one you've all been waiting for!

Cheerio to the awesome **Lord Kain**, the lovely **Millen Stryker**, to the gorgeous **Airess**, the sexy **Estrelita**, the cool **Headphone** and to the groovy **Enigma** for all their reviews and patience. Cheers also to the amazing **Beserker B** whose review made me melt with happiness (I'm sorry for keeping you up so late!) and to **PockySamurai.** I feel like I have to apologise to you a little Pocky; I do try and keep my characters reigned down, but they do have a tendency to go wandering off on their own. I know my Ryu is very different than other interpretations of Ryu III, and Nina is more emotional. My excuse is that love changes people and makes them act differently, though I do see that you have a point. I wanted to make Ryu and Nina into real people that have flaws. The problem I find with game characters is that they're often too nice- in all my stories, fanfiction and original, I like to portray people that aren't entirely good even if they are a so-called 'goodie'. That's why 'selfishness' is one of the main themes of this story.

Estrelita asked where Momo keeps her bazooka. I actually considered putting that in the last chapter, but cut it at the last moment. Well… if you've ever played Wild Arms 3, just think where Maya keeps her machine gun. Hehehe. Cough, somewhere where the sun don't shine, cough.

**Recap**- It's time for the wedding, and Nina is determined not be self-centred and to go through with the marriage, even though she is terrified. Meanwhile, Ryu's plan is in full swing. Momo and Rei have infiltrated the castle as wedding guests and have knocked unconscious Edmund. Only one question remains; if help comes, will Nina wish to take it?

_A Princess's Duty_

_XIX_

_**The Wedding **_

It was showtime.

Down in the dungeons, Ryu heard the sound of the trumpets dying away, the signal that meant the procession was over. Momo and Rei should be taking care of Edmund right now, Ryu realised, a smile sliding up onto his face.

He stood up from the dust and dirt in the cell, and looked at all the other faces in the crowded dungeons. Thieves, criminals and imposters, they all watched him intently, waiting for his word.

"Time to go, boys," he said.

A great clamour grew up in the dungeons as the prisoners beat and rattled the metals bars. They yelled at the top of their lungs, stamping their feet. They caused such a noise that the guard came running.

It was a prison riot, and Ryu was orchestrating it all.

"All right you lot, quiet down!" exclaimed the guard, though his words were drowned completely in the tumult of noise. "You're bloody gonna disturb the wedding!"

He strode over to a howling prisoner, his baton in hand.

"I said, _shut up_!"

The baton went down, but before it could connect with flesh and bone, two long arms shot out from the darkness in the cell. They snatched up the man's head, bringing it forward to dash it against the iron bar. _Clunk! _He went out like a light.

The prisoners cheered, tugging the guard's keys from his belt.

"Nice work, Arrow," said Ryu, as the long-armed man twisted the ring of keys around his finger.

The so-called Arrow flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Dragon-boy."

He unlocked all the cells in the upper dungeons, and the men ran free, cheering as they flew up the steps. Ryu ran with them, knowing he only had minutes to spare. They treaded dirt into the luxuriant carpets, urns smashing, the castle thrown into chaos. The guards ran after them, unable to keep up as they flooded towards the front gates.

Ryu, however, wasn't looking for the exit. Using the cover from the prison break, he hurried towards the antechamber of the dome.

There, he saw the door to the broom cupboard stood open. He strode over towards it and opened it wider. Light fell upon the scene inside; Rei binding Edmund in a chair with a strong length of rope, the prince gagged and only in his underwear.

Ryu burst out laughing. "It all went to plan then?" he asked, who not able to stop a grin sliding up onto his face seeing his love rival in such a state.

"The little baby chicken barely put up a fight," said Rei. "What about the riot?"

"Perfectly executed," Ryu sang.

Momo approached from the shadows. "I still don't see why you wouldn't let _us_ free you Ryu. You really didn't need to let loose all those thieves on Wyndia." She had been nursing her bazooka, which now sported a large dent in the side. "Such a hardhead," she murmured angrily, glaring at the unconscious prince.

"That's because I need the guards to go round them all up. It's going to be difficult as hell getting out of here. If the guards are distracted chasing them round the city, it removes one less obstacle," he explained.

"Ah, now that's smart," said Momo.

"I didn't spend all those days down in the dungeon doing nothing, you know."

"Uh, Ryu?" prompted Rei, rising up from where he'd finished tying Edmund. "Oughtn't we get on? If you leave it much longer they're going to wonder where he is." He stabbed a finger towards Edmund, whose head lolled to the side.

"Alright," said Ryu. He approached Edmund and knelt down before him. A peculiar scene, as though Ryu was offering his allegiance to the prince, only ruined by the fact that the prince himself was only wearing his boxers.

Magic glowed under his fingertips, and when he straightened out again, there were two Edmund's in the room. Rei circled him, evaluating his features. He nodded in approval.

"That's perfect. Nobody will be able to tell the difference. Now get these on-" Bundling Edmund's discarded clothes up in his arms, he tossed them towards Ryu. He quickly put them on, doing up the fiddly buttons with rapid speed and uncreasing the crisp white silk. Momo smiled and looked away.

"Okay, go, go, go!" said Rei, pushing him towards the door. Ryu resisted.

"You two go in first. They won't start till I- well- 'Edmund'- arrives."

The two glanced at one another, and Rei clasped Ryu on the arm.

"Then good luck man. I seriously hope this goes well- for all our sakes."

"We'll be providing backup, but after that it's up to you, Ryu," said Momo.

"Thanks," Ryu said, pausing. He looked both Rei and Momo in the eyes. "For all of this. I'm sorry I got you both so involved."

Momo shook her head. "I was glad to help. It's what friends do. And, I want to see you and Nina happy."

"And I wouldn't be much of a mate if I just stood by and let you lose the love of your life," said Rei, offsetting this statement with a wink.

Ryu watched them gratefully. "Thank you."

Rei grabbed Momo's arm and hurried out into the antechamber. "Awright, let's get this catastrophe on the road!" he called. They prised the great doors open, and a few seconds later they vanished into the dome.

Approaching the double doors himself, Ryu paused, his hand on the lion-shaped doorknob, growling at him. It filled him with courage.

_And so, _he thought, _the evil dragon came to rescue the maiden from the handsome prince._

With that, he twisted the lion, and the doors rumbled open.

x

_I am not afraid, _Nina told herself. _I can be strong. This is… the path I chose to take. _

"Are you alright Nina?" the King asked her, walking by her side as she brushed down the stairs towards the antechamber. As tradition insisted, they would be the last to enter together. She stopped by the doors and turned to him, grasping desperately at every last moment she could hold, still steeling herself to face the coming moment.

"Yes," she said, after a pause, her voice coming breathlessly. "I'm fine."

He gazed at her, and smiled at his daughter tenderly, putting his hand on her shoulder. It was warm and comforting, familiarly calloused from the sword-training days in his youth.

"I know it's frightening, but it'll all be over soon," he said gently, before he added, "I don't think I've said before- but you look beautiful, Nina. Just like your mother on our wedding day."

She looked down at the swathe of white that encased her body, making her more wedding dress than Nina. It did not seem to mean very much.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She gave a small unsure nod, her heart lifting like helicopter blades. And before she could prepare herself, the King pulled the doors open.

"But I"-

She was stunned into silence by the blaring music that hit her ears, trumpeters lifting their instruments to their lips, violinists striking their first notes. Colour invaded her senses from every angle. The decorations had been finished now, and she could see little else than garlands of flowers woven between every remaining space. The smell broke over her like a wave; the sweet, delicious smell of ten thousand roses.

Hundreds of people were crammed into the stalls, and all were smiling at her. The aisle had been left clear, and at the end of it, like the path of destiny, stood Edmund.

Her father took her arm, and they made the walk to the end of the aisle, the music changing as they walked. Nina was glad that the King had her arm firmly; she felt as though she might wobble into the crowd otherwise, or else throw up.

They glided towards the end, Nina feeling weightless, empty. The music, the colour, the smell all pressed down on her, and she no longer felt real. The song drew to a crescendo, and stopped. Nina realised she had reached the end without quite knowing how she got there. The King let go of her, and she found herself alone, facing Edmund. Strangely, he cracked her a small secretive smile. She eyed him oddly; he looked different too, less grim, and he carried himself in a different manner.

_The pressure must be getting to him too, _she thought, almost sympathetically.

Abruptly, the priest appeared into the corner of her vision and she jumped, though it was clear he must have been there all along. Slowly, he cleared his throat.

"Here we gather, witnesses to the union of Princess Nina and Prince Edmund Wyndia. We stand under the might of the God of Wind, supplicants to his great-" he began. Nina's heart clenched tightly, as though n icy hand had grasped it in its cold grip. She felt sweat pooling on her brow as the priest continued his speech.

She looked at Edmund; he was smiling at her again, a warm comforting smile that was too intimate to have come from Edmund.

It was as if he was saying; "It'll be alright."

Something strange was going on, Nina was sure of that.

"As was told by the prophet in the Book of Air---"

Why was Edmund looking at her like that?

"That she who stands at the alter, offering her life and her heart---"

Still, she felt oddly dreamlike. What was going on?

"-should be bound forever in a bond of love-"

Then those lips compressed into the smile only she knew, and Edmund mouthed, "Nina."

"-and they shall become one."

_How could he?_

Nina faced Ryu, draped in Edmund's stolen body, and he smiled unashamedly back. The thought ran again through her head, almost as a mantra; _How could he? __**How could he**__?_

Tears pricked at her eyes, and rolled silently down her face. Ryu's smile quickly dissipated, vanishing into the air like insubstantial dust in the breeze.

She felt angry, but she also felt a sadness that encapsulated that anger; betrayal.

It seemed she was going to be given no choice, just like the little girl her mother had always told her she was. The little girl she'd always been.

The damsel in distress.

Quietly, so that only Ryu could hear her, she said, "How could you do this to me?"

He was not smiling or laughing now.

"You've got it all wrong," he said, both softly but urgently.

"Have I?" she asked, the tears dripping down her painted cheeks. "Let me guess- you're here to save me-" the words did not contain any malice; they were simply words. "And by saving me, you mean that I have the choice of marrying you, or walking out and becoming a disgrace."

The tears rolled thick and fast, and she raised her shaking hands to cover her face. But still she did not make a noise.

The crowd was beginning to murmur now, the priest faltering in his words.

"And- uh… in psalm 21-"

Nina felt Ryu's hand on her arm. Her head snapped up, and she saw he was smiling again.

"You're an idiot Nina. Do you really think I'd do that to you? I'm not here to punish you or force you into anything. Do you really think I would?"

She looked at him in confusion, prepared even in her sorrow to hear him out.

"I've come to kidnap you."

The words did not sink in. Nina didn't understand what Ryu was suggesting. She felt stunned by the music, the smell, the colours- deafened by the events around her. She gazed at him stupidly, running his words through her mind, trying and failing to clarify them. "_What?_" she asked.

Ryu saw that he needed to explain. "I've not come to take you back, anything like that," he said quickly, shaking his head, all the same remembering to keep his voice low. "But you've had two options before; marry Edmund or betray your country. But I'm here to offer the third option, and it's up to you whether you take it. Let me kidnap you again, Nina. I know you don't want to go through with this; even a blind person would be able to see that. But if you'll let me, I'll change back into my body and steal you away. You won't be blamed for not going through with the wedding, and you won't have to marry. _I'll_ take the blame. Then, you can stay with me if you like, or you can return to Wyndia. Everything will be in disarray, and that'll give you plenty of time to get your betrothal cancelled."

He smiled at her sadly. "I love you Nina, but I'm also your friend. I want to help you, and to protect you. So if this is the last time we ever meet, at least let me do that. Don't go through with this."

She finally understood.

Everything Nina felt- her sadness and her anger- it evaporated instantly.

"But why?" she asked, new, different tears pricking at her eyes.

"Because I promised you. I said I'd save you."

The wetness spilled out onto her face, and she sobbed nosily. She wiped at her eyes with her arm, not caring if she stained her dress.

"Why are you crying?" Ryu asked, utterly bewildered.

"Because I'm so happy," she choked out. All the feelings for Ryu that she'd locked up came rushing back to her. They filled her, completing the space inside her heart that had remained hollow for so long.

If the crowd hadn't been watching them, she would have thrown her arms around his neck and begged him for forgiveness.

She had judged him by her standards, while all this time he'd been plotting only to protect her. She'd thought him selfish, and yet, she had really only been describing herself.

He was willing to play the villain, to put himself in danger to rescue her.

How could one man be so selfless?

"Or," he added more softly, "I could always get Edmund back. I've been told he's on a blind date with the broom cupboard." He winked at her, and she hiccupped. "Now, follow me lead," he said.

She became aware that the priest had stopped talking. From her side, the room was buzzing with noise. No one knew what had happened. What had Lord Edmund said? Did their poor princess have stage fright?

"Uh- Princess, are you okay? Do you need a minute?" the priest asked, bemused.

"I-" Ryu nodded at her, and she remembered to look terrified. "I'm not sure," she said demurely, clasping her hands to her sides for protection.

Ryu grabbed her roughly, apologising with his eyes, and the crowd exhaled a sound of shock. He pushed her down from the alter, shoving both her arms behind her back. She pretended to struggle, trying to wrench away from him.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"You're doing wonderfully," Ryu murmured, his mouth near her ear.

The King stood, staring at them as though he could not believe his eyes.

"Edmund! What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed angrily.

"Sorry, Edmund couldn't make it today," said Ryu, grinning at the King. "So I came in his place. I hope you remember me."

He let the spell dissolve on his skin, feeling the buzz of the magic as it ebbed away. When it had completely faded, he stood as Ryu in the hall.

"Remember Ryu, the prince of the Dragons!"

"_Ryu!_" screeched Sheila, looking feral. Her earrings clashed angrily as she bounded to her feet. "What are you waiting for guards? Get him! Rescue my daughter!"

The guards, previously uncertain, rushed forward in a show of determination. Nina struggled theatrically in Ryu's arms. At that moment, Momo and Rei leaped over the stalls, still dressed in their disguises. They drew out their weapons and stood protectively before Ryu and Nina.

"We'll hold them off!" said Momo.

Ryu hesitated.

"What are you waiting for?" Rei exclaimed. "Get going on your honeymoon!"

Nina stared at them, instantly recognising them for who they were. _Rei… Momo… _she thought, _so you were in on this too… all to help me…_

"Thank you," said Ryu to his companions, and a second later he ran towards the door, dragging Nina by her hand. He shoved it open.

Inside the castle chaos was already at play, the thieves Ryu had released fighting with the guards. Urns were smashed, tables upturned. When they saw Ryu and Nina they turned and watched in dumb shock. Only the shrieking cry of "Get him!" from the Queen roused them from this, and they made chase.

They flew out the castle gates, and at the sight of Nina, the bird tamers released their birds. Five dozen white doves flew up, the guards stumbling into a field of white, birds flying up at them from every direction, wings flapping in their faces.

Ryu and Nina ran on, hurtling down the stone steps, taking three at a time. The awaiting crowd halted their half sung cheer and watched in confusion as their princess was towed away.

The First Regiment, patrolling near the fountain saw Ryu and Nina and were more quick to react. They formed a human barrier blocking their way, a huge crowd now hurrying after the couple; guards, courtesans and even the King and Queen huffing and puffing at the back.

Ryu and Nina found themselves trapped in the square, officials on all sides. From the sheaf hidden under his waistcoat, Ryu pulled a knife, holding it to Nina's throat. The guards and soldiers quickly halted in their approach.

Nina's heart thudded in her chest; would they really get away? She was starting to wonder if this was such a good idea. But Ryu's strong arms were around her, cradling her, protecting her, and she knew she would never voluntarily go back.

The city had fallen silent. After the clamour of the chase, even the musicians dare not play a note. In all her years in Wyndia Nina had never heard anything like it. It felt eerie. Around her, everyone was holding their breath. The King pushed his way to the front, the Queen clutching his arm, furious. She looked quite ready to leap at Ryu and fight him herself. The King however, looked cautious, and at the same time, terrified.

Nina instantly felt guilty.

_But this way is best for everyone, _she told herself. _I just… I can't keep pretending anymore._

"Ryu," said the King carefully, his voice carrying over the stone crowd. "What is it you want? Gold? I can give you gold. But release my daughter this instant. I command it." His voice was steady, carrying the divine authority of a king. It made you instantly want to obey it.

"Sorry, King- but Nina belongs to me," Ryu drawled lazily. "I don't want any of your gold; I've got the crown jewel right here."

"Traitor! Heathen!" exploded Sheila, charging towards Ryu. Only the strength of three guards was able to hold her back. "I knew what you were the moment I saw you! How long are you going to take my Nina away from me this time? Months? Years? Forever? _Tell me!_"

_I'm sorry Mother, _thought Nina guiltily. _But I'm not your little girl anymore. I'm, not 'your' Nina. _

"Nina doesn't belong to you," Ryu said, mirroring her thoughts. "She belongs to me now." This startled her- but then she remembered he was only acting. This was a play that was becoming more bizarre by the second- she only wondered how the final act would end.

Several of the soldiers from behind had been approaching slowly, trying to sneak up on Ryu. He spotted them out of the corner of his eyes and swung round, bringing the knife closer to Nina's neck.

"Get back!" he barked. They stumbled back into the crowd.

"What do you intend to do now?" called the King, his voice cold and unforgiving. "You've got Nina, but you're surrounded. A stalemate."

"Not quite," said Ryu, raising his head arrogantly.

"How so?" asked the King, his brow furrowing, worried.

"I thought you were supposed to be clever, King. I _am _the prince of the Dragons, you know." Ryu's whole body started to glow as he said these words. The King's expression erupted into realisation, and he yelled, "**Stop him**!"

It was too late.

Scales flexing, the twenty foot dragon opened its wings into sky. Several of the guards wailed in terror, falling back. Many ran for cover. But the Kaiser dragon was not there to kill. It snatched Nina in its talons, taking off into the air. Fascinated, Nina saw the faces of her parents lurch away, tucked safely in Ryu's claws. Relief filled her, thick and warm. Soon the people on the ground were no more than dark dots.

The sky was bright, the horizon ringed with pink. She was higher than she'd ever been before. The wind ripped through her hair, blowing away all the hurt and fear she'd felt over the last weeks.

At that moment, there was only her, Ryu, and the open sky.

Freedom, in every sense of the word.

Twisting in Ryu's claws, she clambered out of his hand, using the scales on his leg as ledges to climb. She crawled onto his back and neck, wrapping her arms around his hot scales.

"Ryu! This is wonderful!" she called. In reply Ryu let loose a roar, the noise vibrating through her.

"Yes," she murmured. "I'm happy too."

She was a child of the wind, and the wind was not meant to be tamed. Maybe it was just escapism, maybe she was just running away- but with the wind on her skin, raking though her hair, how could she ever choose another life?

Wyndia was in the distance now, the nightmare far behind, towers shimmering on the blazing horizon. On a nearby grassy knoll, Ryu set down. He beat his wings slowly, his claws reaching out for the soft earth, Nina's white train flaring behind her.

She slipped off him, dropping to the ground. Ripping the windswept veil off, she embraced him, cradling his large scaly head in her arms.

"Oh Ryu…" she whispered, her cheek pressed against his soft warm nose, "how could I ever thank you?"

A soft growl ran through him; it was almost a purr. His large inky eyes fixed on her own, he nuzzled up against her. She laughed; it had tickled.

His body was engulfed with light, tendrils of luminance wrapping around him and through him. They burst apart, and Ryu was standing there, just a few feet beyond her reach.

She had no reservations now. She ran forward, throwing herself into his arms. She squeezed him as tightly as she could, and felt him squeezing back in return. They moulded into one another, hugging each other close as though they were two lovers facing the end of the world. They stood together not as two people, but as one.

How long they embraced each other they did not know; whether a minute or a millennia, time passed them by and they did not register its passing.

At last they drew back, long enough for Nina to reach up and press her lips against his. It was not heated or passionate, but soft and deep, two friends meeting each other after an age has passed alone.

"I'm so sorry," said Nina. "I've put you through so much. Please forgive me."

Ryu's reply was a kind smile, one that stretched all the way to his eyes. He drew her into his arms.

"There's nothing to forgive," he murmured into her ear.

Nina melted into his embrace, the picture of peace and contentment. It was just like her dream earlier that morning. She was surrounded by his scent; warm, sweet, folded in his comforting arms.

Turning her head towards the city on the horizon, all this was smashed. Her dream had soured. It splintered into a thousand different pieces.

"Hey Nina, what's wrong?" Ryu asked, confused, spying the mask of terror on her face.

Shakily, not trusting herself to speak, she pointed towards Wyndia.

The guards distracted by the chase, the First Regiment drawn away, Wyndia had been laid wide open. The Shanians had arrived, counted their advantage, and attacked.

Reflected in Nina's horror-struck eyes, the city was in flames.

* * *

**A/N- **Ahh, I don't know about you, but all these twists and turns are making me dizzy! Will the city be saved or razed to the ground- and, will Ryu and Nina's relationship survive this final act? And what about Edmund, locked in the broom cupboard?! I'm going to enjoy these two final chapters.

I'd be interested to know if you think Nina made the right choice here. There were a lot of ways she could have gone, and it took me some time to decide what she would do. I have my own opinions about her actions, but I'd like to hear what you all think first. And was it good? I'm really hoping so! If not, please let me know where I went wrong.


	20. Fire on High

**A/N- **I'm very sorry for the long delay. This chapter was such a murder to write that in the end, I decided to chop it in half and give you the first piece. Otherwise, you may be waiting for some time for me to get it all done. I thought something would be better than nothing.

In this chapter I tried to capture the confusion of battle, when life's events are moving so fast around you that everything is reduced to a sheet of noise and movement. This isn't the type of thing I usually write, and I find action scenes very difficult, so you'll have to tell me how it turned out. The chapter title is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra- my favourite band. :)

Thanks for all the reviews everyone. It was interesting hearing what you all thought about the last chapter and Nina's choice. Well, there's a few last twists and turns to come!

_A Princess's Duty_

_XX_

**Fire on High**

Smoke was rising from the towers of Wyndia, licking flames causing a shimmer that lit the city like a mirage. It was still light out, the last embers of the day fading away, the horizon aglow as it were on fire- a suitable backdrop for the calamity ensuing on the plains.

Nina sunk down onto her knees.

"No…no…" Her face was a Greek tragic mask. "How could- how could something like this happen?" She put her head in her hands. "This is all my fault."

Ryu had heard the winged rumours of the Shanian invasion, and he knelt down to comfort Nina. "Why is it your fault?" he asked, arm around her trembling shoulders.

"Because-" she breathed, "we created the diversion they needed. Father only employed the first regiment, and they got caught up trying to save _me_!" She took several great heaving sobs, her arms clasped around her chest as if trying to stop herself from falling apart. "Why does everything I do—everything!—go wrong? How could I be so stupid?" She shucked off Ryu's half embrace, unable to accept his comfort, and beat ground with her fist. Ryu was startled by her anger and self-loathing. He reached towards her, but suddenly she calmed herself, brushing him off and getting to her feet. She took several deep breaths. Like a princess, she was composed again.

"We have to go back, Ryu," she said calmly, her eyes fixed on the burning city.

"Of course," said Ryu, who hadn't expected any different. He hesitated. "You do realise though, that if we do go back, we're likely to be found out?"

"I know," said Nina, a picture of composure, a completely different woman than the trembling, unsure being she'd been only moments before, raging at herself and everything, knowing it would help nothing, but unable to help even herself. "That doesn't matter now-" she continued, without the trace of a stutter, "I'm tired of lying. I have to do what I can. If I don't, I'm worthless."

Ryu looked hard at her- as he did, he saw a Queen of Wyndia staring at her kingdom, blazing with a silent determination.

"Let's hurry," she said, and it was almost a royal command.

They flew back to Wyndia, Ryu's wings beating in the open sky; Nina's determined face lit with the blood red of the murderous sunset. As they approached the city, a wall of screams and yells hit their ears, as if they had just resubmerged from a pool of deep water. Nina's heart tightened in pain.

They were flying over the city now, Ryu going lower, almost skimming the rooftops with his scales. Nina leant over him, watching as a great army of grassrunners charged the last line of defence to the castle, others fighting in the streets. They had changed their white sweeping robes for armour, and fur was streaked with war paint.

_We have changed peaceful priests for warriors, _Nina thought guiltily, though these words did not linger for long. A round of spelled arrows shot across the battlements and struck several Wyndians dead. They collapsed to the ground, and Nina could almost feel their souls departing their bodies.

Ryu let out a great bellowing roar, and soldiers on both sides looked up and shouted. Several of the Shanians screamed, others looking ready to drop into a dead faint.

Suddenly, Ryu's voice flowed into Nina's mind. _I'll help the Wyndians anyway I can, but I don't like the prospect of a bloodbath…_

_Neither do I, _Nina told him. _But there may be a way to prevent one. They're here for a cup- they call it their crystal chalice. It's up in my father's study. If I could return it, then maybe… _She didn't have to say anymore.

_Where's the King's study?_

_Top of the north tower, the window to the right. _

Ryu glided through the maze of towers and windmills, Nina carefully standing up on his back, taking hold of his horns. She felt a pang of fear run through her, but she swallowed it down. Wyndian banners waved endlessly in the wind, the force threatening to topple her. Slowly, they drew close to the window, Ryu's wings beating in a quick hover. She pushed at the glass, hoping it wasn't locked, and mercifully, it swung open.

_Good luck, _said Ryu, and Nina leapt from his back and through the window, landing silently on the carpet inside. In the naphtha lit study, Nina was surprised to find she was not alone. Frederick was pacing anxiously, and even more surprisingly, Rei was busy picking the lock on the King's safe.

"Nina!" Frederick exclaimed, as Nina strode towards them.

"Where's Momo?" she asked Rei.

"Fixin' Wyndia artillery. They're all of a bother cuz the military here is a mess- didn't look properly after their equipment." He didn't even look up from the lock as he explained, his expert fingers whirling on the dial.

Frederick groaned. "We haven't had a war in a century- nobody was prepared."

"What about the King and Queen?" Nina demanded. Frederick looked uneasy.

"He said something about defending his country…"

"He's going to fight?" gasped Nina. "Why? He knows he had to give it up because of his bad leg."

Frederick shook his head silently, saying nothing- yet, the apology was still clear.

There was a click, and the safe swung open. Rei held out a beautiful goblet, carved entirely from shining rock crystal and decorated with intricate swirls and patterns.

"This it?" he asked.

Frederick replied by taking it from his hands and pressing it into Nina's palms. "We need to get this to their High Priest right away. He'll be leading them all."

"I've got an idea," said Nina, and she fled to the window.

_Ryu, we've got the cup. We need to get to the Shanian high priest. Can you clear the way?_

She heard an answering roar. She thought she could see him, but in the chaos of the invasion even the bulk of a dragon was disguised. They quickly made haste. Running down the stairs, Nina jumped three steps at a time, wishing that she had her staff. A bolt of innovation hit her, and she tore off the wall an ornamental sword with a diamond pommel. She winced- it was heavy, but, she reminded herself, would be as good as a wand for channelling her magic. She remembered at the last minute to tear off the dangling train of her dress, already dirtied and fraying from the action. The ripping sound was surprisingly satisfying.

The castle was deserted; the walls had not yet been breached and all the men were fighting outside. It felt quite unreal. Nina was used to the hustle and bustle of the castle, never alone without a maid or servant dusting and pruning. Now it was deathly quiet, smashed vases on the floor, pictures broken.

They exploded through the front gates. The city was in turmoil. A dwindling number of men stood lined on the battlements, defending the castle against the seemingly-endless army of grassrunners. They fired wave after wave of spelled arrows, magic flying in all directions. How could there be so many of them? The King had sincerely underestimated their number, for they outnumbered the Wyndians five to one. And the Wyndians were frightened by their mass- you could see the terror dawning in their faces. Young men, they hadn't considered that they could _lose._ Already now, some were turning back- fleeing over the walls. And as they fled, the Shanians shot them down. They fell like stones.

Nina hardened her resolve- they had to hurry. Otherwise, there would be a massacre.

"Princess!" one of the men from the line exclaimed, turning round to stare at her, flushed and trembling. His lance quivered in his hands; he couldn't be more than seventeen.

"Please let us through here- we need to get past," Nina said firmly and urgently.

"But… princess, what happened? You were—kidnapped!"

"I can't explain now. Let us past."

"But your majesty… this is a battleground-" his words tailed off. He finally took in her calm demeanour, her composure, and it struck him that their princess was no longer a little girl. "Very well- but please allow some of us to accompany you."

Nina shook her head. "You need to stay here. The line is already too thin." She put a hand on his shoulder. "You're doing a wonderful job."

It only took a few more moments for their path to be cleared, and then they entered the confusion of the battle. All around her people were fighting- Wyndian men only half dressed in their steel armour, Shanians in linen wrap helmets and tunics, their fur marked with blue paint. Swords clashed around her, fireballs shooting over her head. She felt confused and disorientated by the clamour around her, her senses overloaded by the overpowering scent of danger. Before long, she had completely lost her companions; Rei and Frederick were nowhere to be seen. She dashed forward aimlessly, twisting and turning through the crowd to find them, to find the tiniest glimpse of Ryu's scales. But the battlements stretched high above her, black smoke curling into the sky. Somewhere far away, she heard a dragon's roar. She couldn't think anymore.

A barrage of arrows flew at her from nowhere. She shrieked and hurled herself to the side, the poisoned tips missing her by inches. Her whole body quivering, she tried stand up, but tripped on the fabric of her gown and fell again. Her knees protesting, the voice in her head screaming, she scrabbled up just in time to dive behind the fountain as another barrage ricocheted against the stone beside her, leaving tiny pit marks. There she wrapped her arms around her, overcome with fear and a pervading sense of aloneness. Sick and shaking, she realised she had never fought alone. She was foolish to think she knew war.

_Oh, Ryu! Help me._

A grassrunner appeared round the corner, long sword in hand. She stumbled to her feet as he charged at her. Full of rage and shame she shouted a great scream, flames erupting from around her, throwing the man back twenty feet.

_I can do this, _she thought shakily, as the man lay unmoving. _I'm not a coward. I'm not a damsel. I can do this on my own._

With these words of courage, the dizzying haze around her began to clear, her shaking subsiding. She crept round the side of the fountain, and there saw the archers who had fired at her re-loading their bows on the rooftops. She would not give them another chance. She called on the power inside her, the bronze sword crackling with electric blue sparks. She thrust it into the sky. With an answering rumble, the black clouds gathered, and a bolt of white-hot lightening slammed down into the ground, rocking it with an almighty quake. When it stilled, the archers had been transformed only to dust.

_I can do this. _

A bellowing roar ripped through the air, and Nina span round, picturing clearly where the sound emanated from. She made her way there at a run. She sprinted through the scene of battle, pushing past those who blocked her, cutting them down. No longer was she lost in the confusion; now, her senses were clear, and full of purpose.

_I have to stop this. _She clasped the goblet tighter in her hand.

Weaving in and out of the fight, ducking under crossed swords, Nina ran to the gate, where, rocks and rubble flying, Ryu exploded out of the wall. Feet pounded, and a river of men broke against her, Shanians and Wyndians alike fleeing in terror. The wave of retreat was so huge that Nina was almost knocked over. But she was not in any _danger_; even in her more than conspicuous white dress, the warriors were far more interested in running. In their secluded country, they had heard nary but whispers and murmurs of dragons—and all those told of destruction.

Only a few dared stand against Ryu. One was an aged old grassrunner, one who had not exchanged his robes for battledress. He wore a glittering headdress, his face-lined like parchment- deep in concentration. Around him several younger men crouched on bent knees, nocking new arrows that did them no good. They bounced off Ryu's scales.

Ryu reared up at the archers- trying to frighten them, Nina realised- but the Grassrunners stood their ground.

What were they playing at? Nina studied the lined face of the high priest- for this was who he surely was- took in the crease of concentration in his brow, the way his lips moved as if in prayer.

She threw herself forward out of the shadows between Ryu and the grassrunners just as the spell was cast. The fireball contacted against her shield, hot and blistering. She held it back, grunting with the effort, the flames hissing and writing, seeking out any weakness or hole in her defence. Nina dug her heel into the earth, pushing back with everything she had.

The fireball collapsed outward, raining down in dimming embers. Panting and sweating, Nina looked up to see the baffled faces of the Shanians, and became aware that she had not only fended off the spell of the high priest, but also the combined efforts of all four archers.

_Good, _she thought firmly, exhausted. _Maybe they'll listen. _

While they were halted by amazement, she raised four fingers, the universal gesture of peace. Perplexed, the high priest looked to his men and then nodded at her. However, he gestured that Ryu should stay back. He growled, but stood his place, nudging Nina forward with his nose.

_I'll make sure they don't try anything funny, _he said.

Still raising her hand, Nina approached the high priest, his archers laying down their bows and regarding her with an air of mingled curiosity and suspicion.

"My name is Kahla," the high priest said, his voice slow and deep, accented differently than any other she'd heard before. "Why do you request peace? Are you your people's priestess?" His eyes lingered on Nina's strange attire, before they drifted to the goblet clasped in Nina's hand. His eyes widened.

"I am the princess of this country," Nina said, easily adopting the formal tone her parents her taught her to speak when dealing with important visitors. At the same time, she raised the chalice for the rest of the Shanians to see. "I am here to seek conditions for a truce. Please recall your men."

When the goblet came into view, several of the grassrunners stepped forward. Ryu stopped them with a warning growl.

Though Kahla seemed incredibly old, his eyes were like a hawk's; cold and sharp. And they were fixed on the crystal chalice.

"I will hear your conditions first," he said.

"You will receive the chalice, all the treasure taken from your provinces and a royal apology."

Kahla's lips drew into a frown.

"And why should I accept this truce, when your city and all its riches lays open at my feet? You will need to offer more than that."

Perhaps because she had always considered the Shanians the victims in what had happened, Nina had forgotten to take into again man's greed, the changes he makes to his modest promises when his eyes set upon the promised land.

"Very well," she said, recovering quickly. "To this you will also receive from the palace treasuries the amount of 200,000 zenny. Is this more satisfactory?"

Kahla smiled at her, an ugly smile of a cat not just about to get the cream, but the whole bottle of milk.

"You're too young to play emissary. Why should the winning party accept less when he is about to gain all?"

Nina's face hardened, the clasp on the chalice tightened.

"This isn't about your chalice at all, is it?" she spat. "It's about conquest, correct? The cup was just an excuse."

At this, Kahla's expression dimmed from greed to thoughtfulness. He seemed determined to give an honest answer.

"Not at first. Not for my people, anyway. They would have accepted your offer- in the beginning." Now, the nasty grin returned. "But in the process, we of the great land of Shania have decided it is no longer in our best interest to stay secluded from global affairs. We've decided to expand."

A growl rippled from the back of Ryu's throat, making the ground quiver, as if the dirt itself was afraid.

"Is the beast safe?" Kahla asked, startled.

"That depends on your intentions," Nina said darkly. "Recall your men."

Kahla laughed, though it was not in a nice way. As though Nina was a foolish girl to keep suggesting such a ridiculous thing.

"You are beautiful for your race, but your parents have not taught you to still your tongue. If your people do not resist, they will not be harmed. Our kinds will work together. My son has been searching for another wife," and he contemplated her appraisingly, his eyes alive and bright with the dream of his new kingdom.

However, this was-evidently- the wrong thing to say. Nina's face blazed with anger, her heart clenched with a fury she had never felt the like of before.

"My people will not be your slaves," she hissed, raising her sword, "and I will be no-one's wife!"

An answering bellow erupted from behind her, and Ryu landed with an almighty crash at her side. The priest-king barely had time to throw up a barrier as Ryu expelled a great river of flames from his mouth. The younger men were instantly obliterated.

"Negotiations have failed, Ryu!" she said as she dived forward, slashing with her sword. Sparks sprayed as he caught the blow with his staff. She thrusted, and he parried to the side, twisting her round and holding her in a lock.

"Stay back, beast!" he called at Ryu, before he said to Nina, writhing like an angry snake in his grip, "You should have known to stay out of this, princess!"

But before he could say anything else she bit down on his hand, hard, and danced from his grip.

"Wrong. I'm not a damsel."

_--And I won't run away, not anymore!_

Like a storm, a very force of nature, Nina called spell upon spell, the elements crashing down on Kahla, his shields weakening, his mouth hung open panting. But he held his own; he was a skilled magician and tricky enemy; his strength was no in his power but in the way he played- how he feigned retreat, pretended evasion…

But Nina still held the advantage.

"Recall your men, or I'll destroy your chalice!" she exclaimed, flames licking threateningly around the goblet in her hand.

Kahla laughed. "Do you think I care? I can have another one made, and the fools back home will never be able to tell the difference."

Nina threw the lump of useless crystal over her shoulder and jumped back into the melee. They continued, wearing themselves down, Nina amazed at the vitality of the man, who was-inevitably- losing, but still refused to give in. He deflected Ryu's flames, forking them harmlessly either side of him, or sometimes even freezing them in mid-air, creating beautiful ice structures that hung for a few seconds, before crashing to the ground, sending dangerous shards of glass-hard ice in all directions.

But it couldn't go on. And as Kahla's defences flickered and died, the scene was frozen, Nina pressing a razor sharp stalactite to his neck.

Anger pulsed like hot blood under her skin, threatening to burst out. But she controlled it.

"Call back your army," she said, through the tiniest gap in her teeth. "Then get out of my country." The words were spat out.

Kahla hesitated, but then looked up, straight into the snarling face of Ryu, nostrils flared, all too ready to fry him to a crisp. His courage failed, and he realised his plans of domination had too.

Tiredly, looking older than ever, he launched a white flare into the sky from his palm. It erupted, a chandelier of sparks raining down. All around the city, grassrunners halted and fell back. And- unexpectedly, over half the Shanian army flickered out, vanishing into thin air. The Wyndians, having spotted the tide of change and making chase, stopped and looked around puzzled.

"Magic constructs," murmured Nina, her childhood training providing the answer. Constructs were a rare and difficult piece of magic, beings that could be duplicated hundreds of times, and were both unharmable and harmless. The Wyndians had been duped; without the constructs, the Shanians should have been defeated easily. Instead their numbers had put the home army of the verge of retreat and mutiny.

Oh, Kahla was clever, she'd admit that. And a greater magician than she'd ever be. But he was also slimy, a liar, and just plain dangerous.

And yet, despite all that, she still couldn't kill him.

It wasn't uncertainty that stilled her hand- the indecision that had brought her so much grief- but a biting weariness in her soul, one that said;

_No more death, not today…_

She released him.

"Go back to your people and depart. No more tricks. I'll call ours to truce."

"What about compensation?" he asked, wily as ever.

"Compensation is the outcome of a peaceful agreement," she spat. "Only a few moments ago you were discussing what would follow your conquest. Get out and don't come back."

He shrugged his shoulders, a shrug of defeat, and smiled a small wan smile.

"I was wrong about you, little princess. You're exactly right to play emissary. I don't know many young girls with courage like yours, and a monster on a leash."

"You're still wrong then. I don't keep my friends on a chain."

And with that, she turned her back on him and walked away, her palm resting on Ryu's warm skin.

* * *

**A/N- **There you are! I'll try to have the second part out as soon as I can manage it. It really is a bugger to write; I don't think I like this chapter very much... Thanks for bearing with me, guys.


	21. A City Without Wings FINALE

**A/N; **Hello everybody! I'm not dead! I'm really sorry for the horrendous delay, but this is the final chapter of A Princess's Duty. No epilogue. I've changed the ending slightly so there's no need for it anymore. I just want to thank everyone who's supported this story and my wonderful patient reviewers. Also to Ryu doragon oji, Gabrielle3, Reiko the awesome, Gabe, my beautiful fellow BoF writers Airess Byrd and Estrelita Farr!, the lovely Enigma, and the wonderful Millen Stryker and great Lord Kain for all the latest reviews. I love you all!

Here's a recap, because… uh, it has been a while… (Sorry!)

**Recap; **After Ryu rescues Nina from the wedding by locking Edmund in the broom cupboard and pretending to kidnap her, they're forced to return as the Shanian grassrunners launch an attack on Wyndia. With Rei and Frederick's help Nina retrieves the Shanian's holy Chalice and takes it to their priest-king Kahla. However, it turns out Kahla has no interest in the chalice and is here for an all-out invasion! Nina takes down Kahla with Ryu, but decides at the last minute to spare his life. Kahla gives the order for the grassrunners to retreat… phew. A lot's going on. But what's going to happen next? Will Ryu and Nina really be able to end up together!

_A Princess's Duty_

_XXI_

**A City without Wings**

Victory is a gift wrapped in a crimson ribbon.

The Shanians retreated as fast as they had arrived. And as they ran, they were cut down. Those that made it out that day were lucky to escape with their lives.

But _victory_ is not always a synonym for _winning_…

Often as not, we _lose_ as much as we _win_…

Buildings had been levelled. Bodies laid cold in the streets. The pavements were slick with blood. In one evening a rejoicing city had been reduced to screams and silence. Wyndia was in tatters.

Fires raged. Those brave enough fought the flames to rescue those trapped inside the buildings.

Nina did not stop. She felt drained. She felt sick. But she kept going, because she had to…

* * *

It took till the early hours of the morning to treat the wounded, leaving Nina more exhausted than she had ever been before. Finally, the fires were put out, the injured were relocated to the inn where the healers looked after them. Bodies were gathered up, and made ready for ritual. And Wyndia breathed a deep, deep breath. The cries had died down; the city was completely, eerily still.

_All of this could have been prevented so easily… why did this have to happen? To us?_

"Princess!" She heard an exclamation from behind her and turned. It was one of the cooks, Phillipo.

"Oh Princess Nina, I thought you were—" he halted suddenly, noticing the body laid behind her. "Oh gods, not Joe," he whispered.

"Yes," Nina said tearfully. "Joe."

It was the guard she had known since childhood, one of her few companions when her mother had forbidden her to leave the castle. And here he was… cold and unmoving.

Phillipo knelt down, touching his hand to Joe's forehead.

"He was a good man."

"They all were," Nina said, wiping her eyes. "This is all such a… such a…" she searched for the right word; "such a waste!"

"A great loss to Wyndia," Phillipo said softly. "And a great loss to you Princess… but I still have hope the King will pull through."

Nina's head snapped up. "What do you mean?" Surprise echoed over Phillipo's face, replaced with a great sympathy.

"I'm so sorry Nina; I didn't realise you hadn't heard." The formal tone had been lost. "There's been rumours that the King has been injured…"

Nina jumped up, weariness abandoned, and ran to the castle, using last reserves of energy she didn't know she had, and burst through the double doors. Several of the maids looked up startled.

"Princess!" Annie exclaimed. "You're-"

"Not now," Nina snapped. "Where is my father?"

Annie went silent and pointed upstairs towards the sitting room. Nina ran on past, up the stairs, her hand on the door handle. Suddenly, she stopped; she heard her mother's voice, and someone sobbing.

"Oh- this is all my fault! I should have killed him when I had the chance. You don't think she got caught up in the fighting? What if she's dead? And the last thing I did was try to force her to marry for the fool that caused this…"

And then, her father; "Don't blame yourself Sheila. We'll find her."

Nina threw the door open; "Mother! Father!" Her father looked pale but unharmed, sat back in a draped chintz chair. Her mother was sobbing on his lap. She blinked up, stared, and then flew to embrace her daughter.

"Oh darling, I've gone mad," she said. "I'm imagining she's here now." She squeezed her as hard she could, and Nina squeezed back.

"Sheila, I don't think you've gone mad; she's actually here," the King said.

Sheila pulled back and stared at her. "Nina… is that really you?"

"I've come back, Mother," Nina said, and her heart was pouring with relief. "But Father- I heard you were injured?"

The King grinned sheepishly and lifted his robes to show a bandaged leg. "I didn't even get into battle. I tripped over my armour getting dressed."

"_Oh Richard_," said Sheila. "You really are useless."

"Come here Nina," said the King. "Give me your hand." Nina knelt down beside him and he rubbed his calloused fingers over her own. "However did you get away from that fiend?"

Nina bit her lip. It was time to make a decision. She could do what Ryu said, and pretend she had escaped from his clutches. She would continue to be the Golden Girl, and nothing would change. Nothing would change! She would be Queen, she would rule, but… Ryu would be banished. She would never be able to see him again. And if she did, it would be in the knowledge that she had betrayed him, betrayed all of them. And… life would go on, but she would remain in stasis. _Nothing would change!_

It seemed so selfish, to think of personal matters now. It was time, for the first time in her life, to tell the truth.

"When I saw what was happening, I had to come back," she said. "I had to."

"And he let you leave?" Sheila asked incredulously.

"He didn't have to. Mother, father… I asked Ryu to kidnap me."

"What?" said Sheila. "You mean you-"

"Please let me finish. Ryu is in no way to be blamed. Every time I left with him, it was by my own will. I'm in love with him. I love him, truly. And that's why… in the end, I just couldn't go through with the wedding. If anyone is to fault, it's me, not Ryu. I'm willing to take responsibility."

Her mother and father were struck dumb by this. Finally, at a loss, the King shook his head. His expression showed he was utterly unable to deal with these events.

"Today makes no sense whatsoever, and I still have no idea what happened today. You know, I always thought a daughter might be less trouble than a son. So you better bet you'll be taking responsibility. But first, I want to know what in the God's name has been going on. Where have the Shanians gone to? And from my very _scattered_ reports, I've been told a dragon was fighting for our side." He blew an exhausted breath. "Nina, do you have any idea what's happened?"

"The grassrunners surrendered, Father."

"Surrendered! They outmatched us!"

"It was an illusion. Most of their men were magic constructs. But I took the chalice from your safe, and me and Ryu-"

"You and Ryu!" Sheila exclaimed. "You mean _you_ were out there? And that dragon man came back?"

"I had no choice; the men were being massacred. Ryu offered to help. Without him, we would have lost today…"

Nina recounted the whole story of what had happened; to her surprise, her parents listened. Perhaps it was the shellshock of the day, perhaps something more, but it was the first time Nina thought her mother had earnestly listened to her. Every so often when she was talking, she would brush a hand against her hair, as if establishing that she really did exist. When Nina began speaking about Kahla, however, the King burst out, "Kahla! Don't tell me you tried to fight him?"

"And defeated him, with Ryu's help," Nina said. "Father, he said he wanted Wyndia as a colony; it wasn't about the chalice at all! And he wanted to _marry _me to his son!" The King had a most peculiar expression on his face. "I did the right thing, didn't I? I didn't kill him, if that's what you're worrying about."

At this, the King burst out into hearty, almost mad laughter. "Didn't kill him! Nina, that man was not the Shanian high priest. He's a rogue from Rhapala who's been impersonating him. He's an extremely powerful wizard." He stabbed a finger to where a document was speared angrily to the table with a letter opener. "And you beat him? Dear daughter, am I glad you came back. You just saved Wyndia!" A look of disbelief stretched across his features. He was dumbstruck. "At least I know how serious you are not marrying. You beat him!"

But Nina interpreted this wrongly. "I'm sorry Father; I made a mistake. I shouldn't have let him get away…"

"That you turned him back is enough. I'll get the Southern Guard to meet them before they cross the mountains. Once the grassrunners know they've been duped, I'm sure they'll be happy enough to deal with him themselves." He tried to stand up, as he always did when announcing, before remembering his leg and slumping back down. He gave a weak smile.

"I, too have made a mistake… I should have listened to you and Frederick. I didn't take the threat seriously enough. And then I got this," he thumped his hand down on the letter, "from the Rhaplian minister two days ago. I didn't even open it! I was too busy thinking about the wedding. But Nina- why did you feel you had to pull such a stunt? The jails are empty. Everything is smashed. All those preparations… Most of all, you nearly killed your mother out of fright. You know how worrying makes her ill. Why couldn't you just tell us you didn't want to go through with it?"

"But I did!" Nina exclaimed. "You said it was too late."

"But why did you leave it up to the last minute? I thought you were just having cold feet from all the things that came out about Edmund. As King, it's my job to be resolute. But as your father… I told you from the beginning that it was your choice."

But it hadn't really been her choice. She'd tried to keep her options open, to stick to the middle road. But there comes a point when everyone has to choose, otherwise you'll be shoved onto a path you don't want. And if you change your mind then, you'll be scolded for not making the decision yourself.

But choices are strange things. Like so many words, we think we understand what they mean, but when asked for a definition we falter. What is a choice? We make them into something momentous, use them celebrate our own free will, try to push them far away. Some choices are very big, some are so small. But here's another thing; they are not always final… sometimes, if you try hard enough, you can move the world, and you can change these strange, opaque things called "choices." A choice is nothing without a will behind it, and through the blood and sweat and the clang of metal, Nina had once again found hers.

"I have been… so foolish," Nina whispered. "But I just had to find a way to escape. Edmund wasn't what I thought he was. And Father, I did intend to go through with it. I did! But that's before I realised what I was losing. It's so easy to give away something before you have it. But I fell in love, and I tried to keep going, and I made so many mistakes, but I just… in the end, I had to throw in the towel. I thought if I could just be with Ryu, everything would be alright. But when I saw Wyndia burning, I realised what I was throwing away. And I need Ryu, but… I need you too. I need Wyndia. I've been preparing every day of my life to become someone _worthy_ of ruling it, and I tried to throw it all away. I love Wyndia! I love all of it. So don't make me choose between them. I need both. Maybe it's selfish, maybe we can't have everything- but please, give me this, and I'll give you everything else I have. I'll spin straw into gold. But leave me my two loves."

During this, she dropped down to her knees, her head bowed. But the King took her by her shoulders; "A Queen," he said, "should never bow to anyone. Especially not to a silly old man, as I've been. We've all made mistakes, and there have been too many tears. We cannot rebuild a city on tears."

"Oh Dad," Nina said, embracing him tightly. Sheila finally broke her silence; she wiped the water from her eyes with her handkerchief.

"Nina," she said, "never make your mother worry so much ever again."

We don't often realise what we have till we lose it. All our petty quarrels, the things we think are important; none of these face up when challenged with the enormity that is death. When it stares us in the face, we quickly decide what is important to us and run. And if they're no longer there, if we've thrown them away ourselves, there's only one person to blame. That was the realisation Sheila had made. Our loves are our gold, our children are our jewels. The rest is chaff. The rest can burn.

"There you are!" ducking round the corner, Frederick stepped into the room. "I'm glad you're alright your Majesties."

"You too, Frederick," said the King. He released Nina and she strode towards her friend.

"Are you okay? You look worried," she said.

"I don't suppose you've seen my brother, have you? I can't find him, and to be honest, I'm starting to worry if he's okay."

_Oh_, thought Nina. She smiled to herself.

"I thought you didn't like your brother, Frederick?" said the King, with a twitch of his lips.

Frederick didn't stop frowning. "Of course I don't, but he's still my brother." Families, real ones, are like chairs and tables and the right number of cups. You don't throw away your best china because it's dusty, even if it's cracked. There's always glue; there's always polish. Everything can be mended, with time. "I'm just hoping he's hiding because he knows he's in trouble."

"He certainly is," said the King. "When you find him, you send him to me."

Nina gestured Frederick close with her finger, whispering into his ear, "Broom cupboard, west wing. And bring some clothes." After a moment of confusion, a grin lit Frederick's face. He started towards the door when the King suddenly called him back.

"Say Frederick," he began conspiratorially, "did you know what Nina was planning?"

"Oh no sir, though from the sound of it, I wish I had! You daughter doesn't do things by half. Broom cupboard; ha!"

When he was gone, Nina looked back to her father. She bit her lip. "What are you planning to do to Edmund? You're not going to…" She couldn't finish the words.

"Heavens, no. He did an awful thing but his departed mother would never forgive me. I plan to strip most of his assets to pay for all this mess. And the cost of his wedding." He eyed her.

"Father- I-"

"Don't apologise. At least we've got the cake." He straightened up. "But now we have to talk about something important; your dragon friend." Almost a primal response in Sheila, her whole body tightened.

"That boy led you astray," she said angrily. "All our troubles stem from him."

"Ryu never forced me to do anything. In fact, I've been very cruel to him these past weeks. I've told you; if you want to punish someone, punish me. I'm ready to do my duty."

"And if that duty involved forgetting him?" the King inquired.

"But who would that duty be to? To Wyndia? What does Wyndia care of wings? Right now, a royal wedding is the last thing on the people's minds. It would only be duty to our vanity, so that we're different from the common people. I don't care if the wings fade out all together. Really, I don't! Why should we be better than them? Duty does not come from re-establishing hierarchies, and if it does, I don't want it. Right now, Wyndia needs kindness, not hierarchies. And right now it's my own, personal duty to give them that."

She licked her lips hesitantly. Her words had poured out of her before she'd thought them through. But it was true. When she was younger she was jealous of the birds and jealous of normal Wyndians. She remembered sneaking out to play with them before her wings grew. She was one of them, back then. But then she found the first feathers on her back and everything changed. Suddenly, she was beautiful. And the children were always hesitant about playing with her after that, because they knew – and she knew- that she was different. And sometimes she loved her white wings, because they were beautiful- and she pitied the commoners who didn't have them. But more often, she hated them. She hated the gulf they made between her and her friends, those feathers that suddenly made her _Princess_, and they _commoners_. There were never princesses or commoners before the wings. And everyone called her beautiful, and treated her with courtesy and awe, but sometimes she felt like a freak, neither a bird nor a human. What was she? All she knew was that there was no _Nina _after that. She could never be just Nina again. Perhaps that was why she adored Ryu so much. He blundered in, so ignorant and innocent. He didn't know anything about wings and Wyndians. All he cared about was his friends. Friends; those were most important. Out on her voyage she was completely free. Then, back at the castle, she became a child again. Burdened by duty, and never really understanding what _duty_ was.

Nina chewed on the side of her cheek. But then the king nodded fervently.

"You're right. But duty is also sincerity. I'm happy for your honesty Nina. If you'd lied or been indecisive, I wouldn't have thought you were ready. You shouldn't have to strap a monarch to their throne. Without free will, there is nothing but indecision. You cannot have an indecisive ruler. I'm glad you've finally figured out what you want."

She was breathless; "Does that mean… I can keep him?"

"He isn't a pet, Nina," Sheila said grumpily. And the door opened once more, and Ryu walked in. He was singed and dirty, with a long cut across his face. And, judging by the expression on the rest of it, he'd been eavesdropping.

He dropped into a low sweeping bow. "Your Majesties, allow me to introduce myself. I fear we've got off to a bad start the last… four, five times. I am Prince Ryu of Drogen, which is less impressive than it sounds but still a title. May I ask your permission to become suitor to your daughter?"

"Lord," complained the King, his head in his hand. "Not another suitor. Do you know how much trouble I had with the last one? Very well. But there will be rules."

Now Ryu turned to Sheila. "And your Queenship, may I apologise for any trouble I may have caused you?"

Sheila said nothing, only puckered her mouth as if she had toothache. Very quickly, though Nina thought she could have imagined it, the Queen inclined her head.

"Though I will ask that you call off my execution," he added.

"Mother!" Nina exclaimed. "You weren't really planning to…"

"…Everyone makes mistakes. Even me," Sheila said, grudgingly. "I suppose you did help Wyndia. And… if you really did help us, perhaps those things Nina said about the Goddess are true too. Very well. I shall tolerate you."

"And your blessing?" prompted Ryu.

"No," Sheila said simply, turning her head away. Nina smiled tiredly; they had a long way to go.

"Nina, I wish to have a word with you privately." The King had Nina help him up with an arm around her shoulder. Leaning on her, he hobbled out onto the battlements. The first trace of dawn was in the air, and all of the fires had finally been put out. The last few smouldered. It was deathly silent. They stood there for a long time, watching the tendrils of sunrise play upon the horizon. It had been a long night.

Finally the King said, "Do you want to know why I let you keep that boy?"

Nina had thought they had finished this. "Father?"

"Do you remember that conversation we had, after you abused Edmund and locked your mother out?"

It seemed so long ago now. She herself seemed a different person, so much younger, though only weeks had elapsed. She had been fiery, feisty, and so reckless. So very naïve.

"We talked about marriage," she said. Though what else had they talked about as of late? Marriage. Marriage. Marriage. She had breathed it.

"And I told you about me and your mother." He raked a hand through his greying hair. Howe strange; Nina had never noticed how old her father was before.

"Yes, your arranged marriage." She still felt awkward thinking about it.

"Tradition is a strange thing Nina. It makes us do things we don't want to, ludicrous things, just be because our ancestors did them. Our stupidity gets amplified through the generations, until the point that we don't even know why we're doing them anymore." He rested his hands, his long brown fingers over the wall. He looked tired. "I was thinking about what you said about the wings. You're completely right. We marry between our family because of the wings, what they signify. They're Wyndia's emblem. But what an emblem it is, wings that can't even fly! Wyndia's lost its wings; it's gone stale. There are less and less people born with wings, and soon there'll only be a few in a shallow, shallow pond. Nina, we're bred like parrots in a birdcage. But we keep doing it, because our parents did it, because their parents did it. Because we're too afraid to be the ones that breaks the chain. But Wyndia won't change until we change; our lives will keep getting shallower and shallower. Insanity is fine if you do it in the name of tradition. Did you know that five hundred years ago, a princess was born with huge beautiful wings, but because of an ancient prophesy, her parents were ordered to kill her, just because they were black! I named you after her, so that you too might triumph over adversity, challenge laws written, just because it was on slabs of stone." He slammed his hand down in anger. "And now I've gone and done the same thing! I'm as bad as my father…" he was silent for a long time. "I was in love too, once," he said softly. She looked at him in curiosity. She didn't know whether to ask or not. He smiled sadly. "It was Edmund and Frederick's mother."

"Their mother?" She was startled. She remembered her dimly, the woman who was always ill. That sad, sickly blonde woman, mourning her husband till the day she died. They'd had to prise her wedding ring, Frederick said, from her lifeless hand. The wedding ring she was wearing right now, which she would have easily thrown away in the trash. She didn't even know her name.

"My father told me she wasn't good enough for me, and married her to my brother Everard instead. I hated it and I hated him, and then I directed my hate elsewhere and decided that if I did it, everyone else could- and should- too. There's nothing like a shared experience to add depth to a culture, even if that culture is hate…"

"Then why don't we break it together?" said Nina softly. With this she slipped off the ring; she felt as if a spell was broken. But she wouldn't toss it away- Edmund and Frederick could have it back. A sign of love, even if she did not share it, should never be tossed away. It should contain their mother's memory, not hers. . "If you help me do it, we might make a new tradtion. Of marrying people we love. We shouldn't pass on hate to our children."

He gripped her shoulder. "It's already broken. You'll bear wonderful children."

Nina blushed, and rubbed her cheek with her hand. "In time," she said. The King looked out over the city.

"We'll make it better for them. It'll be even better than before." He sighed. "An old tired king and an old tired city. It needs a new hand."

"It'll have both. You're not done yet." Nina smiled. "You'll feel better after some sleep."

"We all will," he yawned, and he limped back towards the door. "I've just realised," he said suddenly, looking back, shocked. "You're a woman, Nina."

"Get some rest Dad," she said. He waved a hand over his shoulder and disappeared inside. Ryu slid past him, came up behind Nina as she stared out. He put his arms around her.

"Are Rei and Momo okay?" she asked him. "I haven't seen them."

He pecked her on the cheek. "They're safe. I saw them kissing in the ash."

Nina laughed delightedly. "The cat and the dog!" she exclaimed.

The laugh died down. After all that had happened, she couldn't be wholly happy. She'd got everything she wanted, but lost it too. Sorrow laid heavily upon her shoulders as she gazed out.

"It's strange," she said, "when I last looked out here, I saw my city, but it wasn't _mine_. I didn't want any of it. Now it's burnt and ruined, and I want all of it. All of the people, all of the buildings. I want to nurture it like an egg and make it strong again."

The sunrise was spreading now, not the angry crimsons of yesterday, but a soft orange, like baby fuzz. Throughout everything, she couldn't help but feel hopeful.

"Will you help me rebuild it?" she asked.

"I'll be here as long as you want me."

"I'll always want you," she said, leaning back into him. The world had been obliterated, but in Ryu's arms, she felt safe. "But you don't have to stay if you don't want to. There'll be an awful lot of cleaning up. Don't you miss travelling?"

"I got bored of it," he said. "Why do you think I came back? I saw the wharfs of Rhapala and hiked the highest hills in Dauna, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. The world is huge and brilliant, but it was empty. And it was _lonely_. And then I realised it was home I was missing, and I didn't need to search for it. I'd already found it, long ago."

"Home?" she asked. "You mean in Mcneil?"

"Home isn't a place. Places are boring. I've seen places and places and places. Home is the people you care about and the ones you love. Whenever I'm with Rei I'm at home, and whenever I'm with Momo. And with you Nina. So I came home to you."

He kissed her. "That's home, right there." Nina embraced him tightly, squeezed him so hard she thought she would burst.

Things were beginning to look up. The violent delights of yesterday were over; tomorrow they would begin again. The sky brightened, and the blush faded away. And in the air Nina saw it. She saw a new city, better than before, with gleaming towers and towering windmills. She saw the death of hate, and a city of kindness. A new rule and a new Queen, and an age of prosperity. And she saw a man by her side, never alone again. Rising like the phoenix, born from the flames, and all this Nina saw in the stirring ash, riding on the morning wind of a moving world, right here, right now, in Ryu's arms.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

A/N- In the end, this story ended up much less about the Ryu/Nina romance than Nina's own personal journey. I also began with Nina's discussion with her father and ended with another, different discussion. I think it shows how much both the King and his daughter have changed. Though I'm sure there are bumpy patches and a distinct change in style- I started this story so long ago- I'm pleased how it's turned out. I'm just sorry it's taken so long to complete it. It was supposed to be a one-shot when I began! This'll probably be my last serious chapter-fic on ff, apart from the Twilight parody I'm doing. Apart from that I'll be doing my own stuff on fictionpress under the name of Nausikaa.

There aren't too many BoF fics these days, but you fancy a great read I just want to recommend AngelKitty's Benevolent Monsters, which doesn't get enough love for how awesome it is.

Peace out!

Nina xx


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